从美国BIT范本看国际投资与环境保护之协调

随着国际社会对环境问题的日益关注以及仲裁实践中环境争议的日渐增多,美国双边投资协定的环境规则不断调整。美国《2012年双边投资协定范本》在《2004年双边投资协定范本》立法模式的基础上对环境条款进行了较大的调整,细化了环境权利和义务,增加了公众参与环境条款,肯定了环境条约的作用,完善了环境争端程序条款等,但对环境保护的重视程度还是远远低于对投资者利益的保护。要真正协调国际投资自由化与环境保护之间的关系,需要确立可持续发展宗旨,全面引入环境评价机制,突出环境问题专家在争端解决中的作用,明确投资者的环境保护义务等。

On the Coordination between International Investment and Environmental Protection from the Perspective of the US Model Bilateral Investment Treaties

With the increasing concern about environmental issues and the dispute over the investment and environment in practice, US bilateral investment treaties are constantly adjusted. The US revised the terms on environment in the 2012 model BIT based on the legislative mode in the 2004 model BIT. It strengthened the protection of the environment, specified the environmental rights and obligations, added the terms on the public participating in environmental protections, affirming the roles of environmental treaties and improving the terms on procedures of solving the environmental disputes, etc. However, it attached far more importance to the protection of the investors' interests than the protection of the environment. To truly realize the coordination between the interests of the international investment liberalization and environmental protections, it is necessary to establish the aim of the sustainable development, introduce the environmental evaluating mechanisms, highlight the role of environmental experts in solving the disputes, coordinate the conflict between the investment and environment agreement and clarify the obligation of investors, etc.