Regime interactions in international law investment and…: an introduction

Here is a fascinating aspect of contemporary international investment law, which has often been understudied and underestimated in favor of more technical considerations. From a natural interaction with general international law in which, international investment law finds its roots, to human rights, labor, environment, tax, or competition law, today’s investment regime is at the center of multiple legal spheres and networks. At the same time, what has often been described as a “lex specialis,” is informing other regimes and certainly becoming one of the most dynamic fields of international law often replacing trade law at the center of scholarship discussions and global scrutiny. The attention and interest generated by international investment law has much to do with these regime interactions. FDI are virtually present at each and every level of our daily lives. States have broadly opened up their economies and authorized these interactions with the foreign sometimes to the detriment of their own sovereignty, sometimes, as well, to the benefit of their governments, and, possibly to a lesser extent, their populations. In critically interrogating, these regime interactions on the basis of precise enquiries and a variety of case studies, the third part of our handbook provides the reader with a very comprehensive vision of one of the most pressing international legal issues of our times.