ISDS Case Map
Slovenia
The issue stems from a €67 million debt owed by the Ugljevik Mine and Thermal Power Plant to Slovenia’s state-owned electricity company, Elektrogospodarstvo Slovenije.
Environmental organisations are threatening to bring about a court challenge to the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada, just as the ratification of the agreement is set to be on the agenda.
Slovenia is no longer a party to the Energy Charter Treaty after the Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously endorsed the government’s proposal to withdraw.
Slovenia will follow the lead of countries such as the Netherlands, Spain and France and very likely withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty, Infrastructure Minister Bojan Kumer announced.
Ascent Resources initiated an arbitration dispute in which it is demanding half a billion euros due to Slovenia’s request that an environmental impact assessment should be carried out before fracking in Petišovci.
UK-listed Ascent Resources and its Slovenian joint venture partner Geoenergo have initiated the mediation process under a dispute resolution mechanism.
Amendments to the mining law in Slovenia which prohibit the use of any hydraulic stimulation in mining exploitation constitute further breaches of the protections established by the BIT and the ECT.
The Slovenian parliament has imposed a blanket ban on hydraulic fracturing to produce natural gas, amid arbitration proceedings initiated against Slovenia by Ascent Resources.
It now says legislators are amending Slovenia's mining law to further restrict "all forms of hydraulic stimulation", and this could increase damages it is due under its arbitration claim.
A new example of how this secretive corporate court system is undermining climate and environmental policies of EU member states has been brought to light.
