According to a report in German newspaper Heise, the decision could affect nearly 200 treaty agreements between EU member states.
The verdict, published yesterday by the European Court of Justice (ECJ), could have a huge impact on investment protection agreements beyond the specific case – at least between two or more EU member states.
This ruling has been made as a result of a claim by Dutch insurance group Achmea against Slovakia, who in 2006 had partially reversed a lucrative liberalisation of the health insurance market.
The Achmea group, which had a subsidiary in Slovakia, then sued for lost profits, citing the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT), an investment protection agreement signed by Czechoslovakia and dissolved in 1993 with the Netherlands.
Source: EU FARCE: Hundreds of treaties at risk as ECJ rules clause ILLEGAL : Express
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