With the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon in 2009, the EU became a global actor in the field of foreign direct investment. Since then, the field of EU investment policy has been gradually shaped by numerous political changes, judgments and opinions delivered by the Court of Justice of the EU, as well as lively scholarly debate. Today, a clear division between the "internal" and "external" dimensions of EU investment policy has emerged, which constitutes the general topic of this book. Within these dimensions, additional - and sometimes contradictory - facets of the EU's multi-layered approach to investment protection can be identified. On the one hand, EU investment policy is shifting toward a decentral approach when it comes to substantive standards of investment protection. On the other hand, the EU is following a multilateral approach with regard to procedural innovations in investor-State dispute settlement.
In this EYIEL Special Issue, leading experts in the field discuss the latest developments with regard to the above-mentioned dimensions and facets, which reflect new trends and challenges for EU investment policy. Among others, the book discusses the EU's participation in the reform process for the international investment regime, the emergence of central planning and decentral implementation of EU investment policy, the feasibility of an intra-EU investment court, the protection and enforcement of investment standards under EU law, and the suitability of mediation as an alternative to intra-EU investment arbitration.