While the amendments expand the ECT’s coverage of renewable and energy transition technologies, their adoption date remains uncertain.
Could the Sun Be Setting on the ECT?
Since its conclusion in 1998, five contracting parties—Italy, Poland, Germany, France, and Luxembourg—have withdrawn from the ECT. The EU, the UK, and other European states have announced their contemplation of leaving the ECT rather than embracing the updated version of the treaty.
These developments raise significant questions about the future of international law and policy. They prompt us to consider why an alliance established during the post-Cold War era’s uncertainty can’t be sustained in the modern world.
The ECT was established to address the need for significant cross-border investments in the energy sector and to protect those investments. Today, the situation is arguably more urgent, as
