Simon Lester

Clearly, this French ban on single use plastic bags is a legitimate regulation, right? As of 1 July this year, the distribution of “single-use plastic bags”, defined as bags thinner than 50 microns (0.05 millimetres), will be banned at shop tills. “And on 1 January 2017 the second

This seems like the appropriate day* to unveil a proposal I have for a new WTO agreement on trade and gun rights. Given what is already covered by WTO rules, I don't see why it should be controversial. Recall that the TRIPS Agreement protects intellectual property rights, but

Last week, I mentioned an ISDS event we will be having at Cato to talk about Lauge Poulsen's new book. We also have one coming up next week entitled “Investment Treaty Reform: The European Perspective,” with Rupert Schlegelmilch, Director of Services and Investment, Intellectual Property and Public Procurement

This chart from UNCTAD shows the top respondent states in investment disputes: And this table from WorldTradeLaw.net shows the top respondent states in WTO disputes: United States 126 EC/EU 82 China 34 India 23 Argentina 22 Canada 18 Brazil 16 Korea 16 Japan 15 Australia/Mexico 14 What,

This is from the EFILA blog: It has been argued that ISDS would not be necessary between developed States. ISDS would grant foreign investors additional rights and treat them better than domestic investors. That is – at least for Germany – not correct. And that is not due to an extraordinary high

The U.S. government has further modified its dolphin-safe labelling measure, in an attempt to bring the measure into compliance with the WTO rulings against it. Here are the various elements of the change: This interim final rule makes six amendments to the regulations, as explained below, none of

There's a lot of talk these days in international economic law -- both in disputes and negotiations -- about the marketing of traditional tobacco products. My sense is that this issue is on its way out, and in the coming years the big issue will be the marketing of e-

We are hosting a discussion at the Cato Institute on the politics of investment treaties in developing countries, on Friday, April 15th at 4:30-6:00. The discussion will take as its starting point a new book by Lauge Poulsen, entitled "Bounded Rationality and Economic Diplomacy: The Politics

In a recent talk at a European Community Studies Association conference in Salzburg on CETA, TTIP and TISA, Lorand Bartels said something along these lines (sorry, no link, but Lorand assures me he said it!): Trade is not the most important value and the GATT exceptions say that other values

Let's say that, eventually, CETA comes into force, and the new version of ISDS with an international investment court tribunal, as well as an appellate tribunal, is in effect. Presumably, the members of these tribunals will need some assistance with their work. Here's where CETA suggests