SoEULaw Lectures on “Solidarity in European Union External Action (Investment Agreements)”

28 March 2022 h 12:15, 29 March 2022 h 12:15, 4 April 2022 h 12:15, 5 April 2022 h 12:15.

The academic staff of the Jean Monnet Module Solidarity in European Union Law is happy to announce four SoEULaw lectures on “Solidarity in European Union External Action (Investment Agreements)”.

Solidarity in European Union External Action (Investment Agreements) – Prof. Francisco Pascual-Vives

The lectures will consider the various facets of European Union external action in which the principle of solidarity can play a relevant role. They will propose an examination of the three areas of the EU external action that can serve to reinforce application of the principle of solidarity. These are: security and defense, foreign investment protection, and cooperation for development. The course will pay particular attention to the establishment of an EU policy that protects the rights of foreign investors, while striking an acceptable balance between foreign investor protection and the regulatory laws of the host State. This will be seen as another essential element for reinforcing solidarity, and for reinforcing the institutional structure of the EU with neighboring States. Therefore, lectures will analyze if and how the EU can promote and include a number of European values such as, for example, the principles of solidarity in its international agreements. How can solidarity in EU Law influence settlements in international investor-State disputes?

The course will also offer an outline of the main features of the investment policy of several Member States before the Lisbon Treaty entered into force as a way of illustrating how this policy has evolved in terms of solidarity. It will also address specific considerations about these international investment agreements: the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) negotiated with Canada, the Free Trade Agreement negotiated with Singapore (Singapore FTA) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

Francisco Pascual Vives is Professor of International Law and International Relations at the University of Alcalà (Spain). He coordinated a Jean Monnet Module between 2013 and 2016. He served as Law clerk at the International Court of Justice from 2009 to 2010. He holds an LL.M. from the University of Alcalá and a Ph.D. on International Law from the University of Alicante. He has authored several publications on the following topics: concept and foundations of public international law, creation of international rules, international human rights law, international investment law and European Union law. As for international investment law, he has focused on the Spanish and Latin American treaty and arbitral practice as well as on the development of the European Union competence concerning foreign direct investments.