Greece - Lebanon BIT (1997) - Electronic Database of Investment Treaties (EDIT)

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Greece - Lebanon BIT (1997)

Title

AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE LEBANESE REPUBLIC AND THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC ON THE PROMOTION AND RECIPROCAL PROTECTION OF INVESTMENTS

Preamble

The Government of the Lebanese Republic and the Government of the Hellenic Republic

Herein referred to as the "Contracting Parties",

Desiring to intensify their economic cooperation to the mutual benefit of both States on a long term basis,

Having as their objective to create favourable conditions for investments by investors of either Contracting Party in the territory of the other Contracting Party,

Recognizing that the promotion and protection of investments, on the basis of this Agreement will stimulate the initiative in this field,

Have agreed as follows:

Body

Article 1. Definitions

For the purposes of this Agreement:

1- "Investment" means every kind of asset invested by an investor of one Contracting Party in the territory of the other Contracting Party, in accordance with the latter's legislation, and in particular, though not exclusively, includes:

a) Movable and immovable property and any rights in rem such as servitudes, ususfructus, mortgages, liens or pledges;

b) Shares in and stock and debentures of a company and any other form of participation in a company;

c) Claims to money or to any performance under contract having an economic value as well as loans connected to an investment;

d) Intellectual property rights; and

e) Business concessions conferred by law or under contract or by decision of the executive authority in accordance with the law, including concessions to search for, cultivate, extract or exploit natural resources.

A possible change in the form in which the investment have been made does not affect their character as investment.

2- "Returns" means amounts yielded by an investment and in particular, though not exclusively, includes profit, interest, capital gains, dividends, royalties, and fees.

3- "Investor" means with regard to either Contracting Party:

a) Natural persons having the nationality of that Contracting Party, in accordance with its law;

b) Legal persons or other entities, including companies, corporations, business associations and partnerships, which are constituted or otherwise duly organized under the law of that Contracting Party.

4- "Territory" means in respect of either Contracting Party, the territory under its sovereignty including the territorial sea as well as the maritime areas over which that Contracting Party exercises, in conformity with international law, sovereign rights and jurisdiction.

Article 2. Promotion and Protection of Investments

1- Each Contracting Party promotes in its territory investments by investors of the other Contracting Party and admit such investments in accordance with its legislation.

2- Once a Contracting Party have admitted an investment on its territory, it shall facilitate the issuance of any necessary permits or authorisations in connection with such investment.

3- Investments by investors of a Contracting party shall, at all times, be accorded fair and equitable treatment shall enjoy full protection and security in the territory of the other Contracting party. Each Contracting Party shall ensure that the management, maintenance, use, enjoyment or disposal, in its territory, of investments by investors of the other Contracting party, is not in any way impaired by unjustifiable or discriminatory measures.

4- Returns from the investments and, in case of reinvestment, the income ensuing therefrom, enjoy the same protection as the initial investments.

5- Investors of either Contracting Party shall be permitted to engage top managerial and technical personnel of their choice, to the extent permitted by the legislation in force in the host State. Subject to its laws concerning the entry and stay of natural persons, each Contracting party shall endeavour to issue the necessary permits for the entry and stay of such personnel.

Article 3. Treatment of Investments

1- Each Contracting Party shall accord to investments, made in its territory by investors of the other Contracting Party treatment not less favourable than that which it accords to investments of its own investors or to investments of investors of any third State, whichever is more favourable.

2- Each Contracting Party shall accord to investors of the other Contracting Party, as regards their activity in connection with investments in its territory, treatment not less favourable than that which it accords to investments of its own investors or to investments of investors of any third State, whichever is more favourable.

3- The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article shall not be construed so as to oblige a Contracting Party to extend to the investors of the other Contracting Party the benefit of any treatment, preference or privilege resulting from:

a) Its participation in any existing or future customs union, economic union, regional economic integration agreement or similar international agreement,

b) Any international agreement or arrangement relating wholly or mainly to taxation.

4- Neither Contracting Party shall be obliged to apply the provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article to the acquisition of real estate property and related rights in its territory by investors of the other Contracting Party.

Article 4. Expropriation

1- Investments by investors of either Contracting Party shall not be expropriated, nationalized or subjected to any other measures the effects of which would be tantamount to expropriation or nationalization (hereinafter referred to as "expropriation") except in the public interest, under due process of law, on a non-discriminatory basis and against payment of prompt, adequate and effective compensation. Such compensation shall amount to the market value of the investment affected immediately before the actual measure was taken or become public knowledge, whichever is the earlier, it shall include interest from the date of expropriation until the date of payment at a normal commercial rate and shall be freely transferable in a freely convertible currency.

2- The provisions of paragraph 1 of this Article shall also apply where a Contracting Party expropriates the assets of a company which is constituted under the laws in force in any part of its own territory and in which investors of the other Contracting Party own shares.

3- The investor affected shall have a right to prompt review, under the law of the Contracting Party making the expropriation, by a judicial or other competent and independent authority of the Contracting Party, of its case, of the evaluation of the investment and of the payment of compensation, in accordance with the principles of this Article.

Article 5. Compensation for Losses

1- Investors of either Contracting Party whose investments in the territory of the other Contracting Party suffer losses owing to war or other armed conflict, a state of national emergency, civil disturbance or other similar events in the territory of the other Contracting Party shall be accorded by the latter Contracting Party treatment, as regards restitution, indemnification, compensation or other settlement, no less favourable than that which the latter Contracting Party accords to its own investors or to investors of any third State whichever is more favourable. Resulting payments shall be made without delay and shall be freely transferable in a freely convertible currency

2- Without prejudice to paragraph 1 of this Article, investors of one Contracting Party who, in any of the situations referred to in that paragraph suffer losses in the territory of the other Contracting Party resulting from:

a) Requisitioning of their investment or part thereof by the latter's forces or authorities, or

b) Destruction of their investment or part thereof by the latter's forces or authorities, which was not required by the necessity of the situation.

shall be accorded restitution or compensation which in either case shall be prompt, adequate and effective.

Article 6. Repatriation of Investment and Returns

1- Each Contracting Party shall guarantee, in respect of investments of investors of the other Contracting Party the unrestricted transfer of the investment and its returns.

The transfers shall be effected without delay, in a freely convertible currency, at the market rate of exchange applicable on the date of transfer.

2- Such transfers shall include in particular though not exclusively:

a) Capital and additional amounts to maintain or increase the investment;

b) Profits, interest, dividends and other current income;

c) Funds in repayment of loans;

d) Royalties and fees;

e) Proceeds of sale or liquidation of the whole or any part of the investment;

f) Compensation under Articles 4 and 5; and

g) Unspent earnings of personnel hired from abroad in connection with an investment of an investor of the other Contracting Party.

Article 7. Subrogation

1- If the investments of an investor of one Contracting Party in the territory of the other Contracting party are insured against non-commercial risks under a legal system of guarantee, any subrogation of the insurer into the rights of the said investor pursuant to the terms of such insurance shall be recognized by the other Contracting Party, without prejudice to the rights of the investor under Article 9 of this Agreement. Moreover, the latter Contracting Party shall be entitled to set off taxes and other public charges due and payable by the investor.

2- The insurer shall not be entitled to exercise any rights other than the rights which the investor would have been entitled to exercise.

3- Disputes between a Contracting Party and an insurer shall be tried to be remedied in accordance with the provisions of article 9 of this Agreement.

Article 8. Settlement of Disputes between the Contracting Parties

1- Any disputes between Contracting Parties concerning the interpretation or application of this Agreement shall, if possible, be settled by negotiations, through diplomatic channels.

2- If the dispute cannot thus be settled within six months from the beginning of the negotiations, it shall, upon request of either Contracting Party be submitted to an arbitration tribunal.

3- The arbitration tribunal shall be constituted ad hoc as follows: Each Contracting Party shall appoint one arbitrator, and these two arbitrators shall agree upon a national of a third State as chairman. The arbitrators shall be appointed within tree months, the chairman within five months from the date on which either Contracting Party has informed the other Contracting Party that it intends to submit the dispute to an arbitration tribunal.

4- If within the periods specified in paragraph 3 of this Article the necessary appointments have not been made, either Contracting Party may, in the absence of any other agreement, invite the President of the International Court of Justice to make the necessary appointments.

If the President of the Court is a national of either Contracting Party or if he is otherwise prevented from discharging the said function, the Vice-President or if he too is a national of either Contracting Party or is otherwise prevented from discharging the said function, the Member of the Court next in seniority, who is not a national of either Contracting party, shall be invited to make the necessary appointments.

5- The arbitration tribunal shall decide on the basis of respect of the law, including particularly this Agreement and other relevant agreements between the Contracting Parties, as well as of the generally acknowledged rules and principles of international law.

6- Unless the Contracting Parties decide otherwise, the tribunal shall determine its own procedure.

The tribunal shall reach its decision by a majority of votes. Such decisions shall be final and binding on the Contracting Parties.

7- Each Contracting Party shall bear the cost of the arbitrator appointed by itself and of its representation. The cost of the chairman as well as the other costs will be born in equal parts by the Contracting Parties. The tribunal may, however, in its decision direct that a higher proportion of costs shall be born by one of the two Contracting Parties and this award shall be binding on both Contracting parties.

Article 9. Settlement of Disputes between a Contracting Party and an Investor of the other Contracting Party

1- Disputes between an investor of a Contracting Party and the other Contracting Party concerning an obligation of the latter under this Agreement, in relation to an investment of the former, shall, if possible, be settled by the disputing in a amicable way.

2- If such disputes cannot be settled within six months from the either party requested amicable settlement, the investor concerned may submit the dispute either to the competent court of the Contracting Party in the territory of which the investment has been made or to international arbitration.

Each Contracting Party hereby consents to the submission of such dispute to international arbitration.

3- Where the dispute is referred to international arbitration the investor concerned may submit the dispute either to:

a) The International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes, established under the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of other States, opened for signature at Washington D.C, on March 18, 1965, for arbitration or conciliation, provided that both Contracting Party, party to the dispute and the Contracting party of the investor are parties to the ICSID Convention; or

b) An ad hoc' arbitral tribunal to be established under the arbitration rules of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL)

4- The arbitral tribunal shall decide the dispute in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement and the applicable rules and principles of International law. The awards of arbitration shall be final and binding on both parties to the dispute. Each Contracting Party shall carry out without delay any such award and such award shall be enforced in accordance with domestic law.

5- During arbitration proceedings or the enforcement of the award, the Contracting Party involved in the dispute shall not raise the objection that the investor of the other Contracting Party has received compensation under an insurance contract in respect of all or part of the damage.

Article 10. Application of other Rules

1- If the provisions of law of either Contracting Party or obligations under international law existing at present or established hereafter between the Contracting Parties in addition to this Agreement contain a provision, whether general or specific, entitling investments by investors of the other Contracting Party to treatment more favourable than is provided for by this Agreement, such a provision shall, to the extent that it is more favourable, prevail over this Agreement.

2- Each Contracting Party shall observe any other obligation it may have entered into with regard to investments, in its territory, of investors of the other Contracting Party.

Article 11. Consultations

Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall, whenever necessary, hold consultations on any matter affecting the implementation of this Agreement.

These consultations shall be held on the proposal of one of the Contracting Parties at a place and at a time to be agreed upon through diplomatic channels.

Article 12. Application

The Agreement shall also apply to investments made prior to its entry into force by investors of either Contracting Party in the territory of the other Contracting Party, consistent with the latter's legislation. However, this Agreement shall not apply to disputes which arose before its entry into force.

Article 13. Entry Into Force - Duration - Termination

1- This Agreement shall enter into force thirty days after the date on which the Contracting Parties have exchanged written notifications informing each other that the procedures required by their respective laws to this end have been completed. It shall remain in force for a period of ten years from that date.

2- Unless notice of termination has been given by either Contracting Party at least one year before the date of expiry of its validity, this Agreement shall thereafter be extended tacitly for periods of ten years. Each Contracting Party reserving the right to terminate the Agreement upon notice of at least one year before the date of expiry of its current period of validity.

3- In respect of investments made prior to the date of termination of this agreement, the foregoing Articles shall continue to be effective for a further period of ten years from that date.