Topic: Achmea

German courts offer protection to states facing intra-EU ICSID claims

DECISIONS NOW PUBLISHED: The German Federal Court of Justice has held that EU member states can use the German courts to seek legal protection against intra-EU ICSID claims filed under the Energy Charter Treaty.

27 July 2023

Annulment of intra-EU award upheld in Sweden

The Swedish Supreme Court has refused to hear a Luxembourg fund’s appeal against the annulment of a €56 million Energy Charter Treaty award against Spain.

17 July 2023

Spain fails to halt enforcement of intra-EU award in London

A UK court has ruled for the first time that Spain cannot avoid enforcement of an ICSID award by invoking EU law prohibitions on intra-EU investment arbitration.

25 May 2023

Australia’s top court rejects Spain’s immunity defence

Australia’s highest court has affirmed that Spain cannot invoke sovereign immunity to avoid the recognition and enforcement of a €101 million ICSID award – and that the European Court of Justice’s prohibition against intra-EU investment arbitration is irrelevant to this question.

12 April 2023

Award holder freezes Spanish assets in London

Spain’s quixotic battle with renewable energy creditors has taken a new turn as an award holder freezes state assets including the London premises of the country’s language and cultural centre, the Cervantes Institute.

06 April 2023

US court declines to enforce ECT award against Spain

In a first, a US court has refused to enforce an Energy Charter Treaty award against Spain, finding that under EU law the state lacked the legal capacity to extend an offer to arbitrate an intra-EU investment dispute.

30 March 2023

Dutch investor turns to Latvian courts over animal fur ban

A Dutch investor says it will bring a €56 million claim against Latvia in the country’s courts over a ban on mink fur farming – deciding against pursuing an intra-EU bilateral investment treaty case.

27 March 2023

Spain fails to annul hydropower award

An ICSID committee has upheld a €31 million Energy Charter Treaty award won by European hydropower investors – finding that the “correctness” of the tribunal’s application of EU law was not within the scope of its review.

23 March 2023

Spain fails to annul European investors’ solar award

An ICSID committee has upheld a €31 million Energy Charter Treaty award won by European investors against Spain – concluding the tribunal's findings on intra-EU disputes had been "logical and reasonable".

08 March 2023

Oil trader wins ECT award against Poland

A Cyprus-registered oil trader has won US$47.6 million in an Energy Charter Treaty claim over Poland’s refusal to comply with decisions by its own courts ordering the state to pay interest on a repaid fine.

07 March 2023

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