Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Enjoy the holiday season, however and wherever you celebrate, and have a terrific 2015!

The photo shows the Pompejanum in Aschaffenburg, an idealised replica of an ancient Roman villa, located on the high banks of the river Main. It was commissioned by King Ludwig I of Bavaria and built in the 1840s. Given this year’s spring-like weather on Christmas Eve, a picture showing Aschaffenburg’s mediterranean side seemed appropriate.

(c) Tilmann2007 via Wikimedia

Frankfurt Court of Appeals Upholds BIT Arbitration Clause Again – Eureko v. Slovak Republic, 2nd Round

We have covered these proceedings between the Slovak Republic and Eureko, a Dutch health insurance provider before. At the heart of the matter is the issue whether European law rendered arbitration clauses in intra-EU bilateral investment treaties (BITs), that is, in BITs between EU member states, inapplicable. To the best of my knowledge these are the first court proceedings addressing the issue: In May 2012, the Frankfurt Court of Appeals upheld an arbitral award that ruled on jurisdiction and arbitrability and held that the tribunal had authority to hear damages claims by Eureko against the Slovak Republic under the Netherlands/Czechoslovakia BIT of 1991. Continue reading

Human Rights Day 2014 – Write For Rights

Tomorrow is Human Rights Day. On December 10, 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  “Write a letter, change a life” , amnesty international’s traditional campaign commemorates Human Rights Day. It would be great if you could take some time to look at their website and find out about the 12 people and communities who urgently need your support this year – read the cases and take action now.