| Dozent/in |
Prof. Dr. iur. Nicolas Diebold; Prof. Dr. iur. Mira Burri |
| Veranstaltungsart |
Vorlesung |
| Code |
FS271182 |
| Semester |
Frühjahrssemester 2027 |
| Durchführender Fachbereich |
Öffentliches Recht |
| Studienstufe |
Master |
| Termin/e |
Mi, 24.02.2027, 10:15 - 12:00 Uhr, E.508
Mi, 03.03.2027, 10:15 - 12:00 Uhr, E.508
Mi, 10.03.2027, 10:15 - 12:00 Uhr, E.508
Mi, 17.03.2027, 10:15 - 12:00 Uhr, E.508
Mi, 24.03.2027, 10:15 - 12:00 Uhr, 4.B55
Mi, 07.04.2027, 10:15 - 12:00 Uhr, E.508
Mi, 14.04.2027, 10:15 - 12:00 Uhr, E.508
Mi, 21.04.2027, 10:15 - 12:00 Uhr, E.508
Mi, 28.04.2027, 10:15 - 12:00 Uhr, E.508
Mi, 05.05.2027, 10:15 - 12:00 Uhr, E.508
Mi, 12.05.2027, 10:15 - 12:00 Uhr, E.508
Mi, 19.05.2027, 10:15 - 12:00 Uhr, E.508
Mi, 26.05.2027, 10:15 - 12:00 Uhr, E.508 |
| Umfang |
2 Semesterwochenstunden |
| Inhalt |
International economic law governs the legal framework within which states and private actors engage in cross-border trade and investment. The two central pillars of this field are international trade law, built primarily around the World Trade Organization (WTO), and international investment protection law, grounded in a dense network of more than 3,000 bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and preferential trade agreements (PTAs) with investment chapters.
The course offers an integrated treatment of both pillars, structured around the key tensions that define international economic law: the drive for market openness against the sovereign right to regulate; the quest for non-discrimination against the practical demands of differentiated treatment; and the ambition of effective dispute resolution against concerns over legitimacy and democratic accountability.
In the field of trade law, the course examines the legal disciplines of the GATT and the GATS, covering market access commitments, tariff bindings, and the principles of non-discrimination (most-favoured-nation and national treatment). It concludes with the WTO dispute settlement system, the most important compulsory adjudication mechanism in international law.
In the area of investment protection, the course traces the history and rationale of bilateral and multilateral investment agreements, including Switzerland's extensive BIT network, the EU–Canada CETA, the CPTPP, and the Energy Charter Treaty. The substantive standards examined include expropriation, fair and equitable treatment, full protection and security, and non-discrimination. The course then addresses investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), including jurisdiction, admissibility, merits, and remedies.
Throughout both components, the course critically examines the tension between states' international economic commitments and their regulatory autonomy to pursue legitimate public interests such as environmental protection, public health, labour rights, national security, and sustainable development. Recent developments — including WTO reform debates, the proliferation of mega-regional agreements, the backlash against ISDS, and the emergence of a multilateral investment court — are integrated into the analysis.
|
| Lernziele |
Students will be able to identify trade restrictions and investment-restrictive measures, determine the applicable legal framework under WTO law and international investment agreements, and apply the relevant legal standards to concrete cases — including the tension between economic liberalisation obligations and states' right to regulate in the public interest. |
| Voraussetzungen |
The course is designed for students with a good command of English and an interest in economic globalisation and international relations. Ideally (but not necessarily), students will have basic knowledge in public international law. |
| Sprache |
Englisch |
| Leistungsnachweis |
The final grade will be determined on the basis of a presentation of a case during the case studies, class participation and the exam (oral, open book) at the end of the course. |
| Abschlussform / Credits |
Benotete mündliche Prüfung / 5 Credits
|
| Hinweise |
Lecture and case studies |
| Hörer-/innen |
Ja |
| Kontakt |
nicolas.diebold@unilu.ch / mira.burri@unilu.ch |
| Literatur |
Course material Reader (syllabus, cases, legal texts).
Essential legal texts required for the exam WTO-Agreements provided in the Reader. |