International Economic Law : Contemporary Issues

The volume consists of a selection of the papers presented at the 4th Conference of the Postgraduate and Early Professionals and Academics (PEPA) network, organized by the Society of International Economic Law (SIEL) and held at the University of Milan in April 2015. The purpose is to scrutinise the main challenges faced by States in their current international economic relations, from an interdisciplinary perspective, combining legal research with political and economic analysis. The book offers readers a series of in-depth studies on a rich variety of topics, allowing for dialogue among scientific disciplines. It is divided into four parts. Part I focuses on a hotly debated topic in scientific and political circles: how to reconcile States’ interest to benefit from economic liberalization with their need to pursue social goals (such as the protection of human rights or the environment) by means of measures which may be viewed as contrary to their obligations under international economic treaties. International trade law issues are specifically covered in the contributions included in Part II, where the authors analyse some of the more recent developments under WTO law and regional integration processes. International cooperation in the energy sector is dealt with in Part III, from the perspective of bilateral (EU-Russia) relations, the Energy Charter Treaty and WTO law. Finally, Part IV is devoted to investment and finance topics, zooming in on national regulatory developments in the banking sector, sovereign wealth funds and investor-State arbitration.