Bilateral investment treaties

The purpose of bilateral investment treaties is to protect the investments of Belgian companies abroad against arbitrary government action. These treaties are reciprocal. On the one hand, they give Belgian companies an increased degree of protection abroad and, on the other, they attract foreign investment into the Belgian economy. Belgium always concludes its investment treaties with Luxembourg within the framework of the Belgium–Luxembourg Economic Union.

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Since the Lisbon Treaty, investment protection has been a matter of European jurisdiction. In a transitional phase, EU Member States may still negotiate bilateral investment treaties under certain conditions and in line with the reformed EU investment policy.

In 2018, a new model text was drawn up for the negotiation of future treaties. The new model text fits in with this country's transition policy towards a European and multilateral approach to investment protection. The text lists the principles of the reformed European investment protection policy, strengthens the sustainability principles and reinstates the phased-out provisions for the dispute settlement mechanism based on arbitration.

You can check the countries with which Belgium has concluded a bilateral investment treaty in the database of treaties. 

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Treaties database

Consult the treaties database from 1987 here.