Les prescriptions de résultats dans les traités d’investissements

The document examines performance requirements (PR)—stipulations imposed on investors to achieve specific development goals—and the legal constraints placed upon them by the WTO's TRIMs Agreement and various Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs). It highlights a growing trend, led by Canada and the United States, toward broader prohibitions of PRs (MIC+ clauses) that extend to pre-establishment phases. Through the analysis of cases like Lemire v. Ukraine and Mobil Oil v. Canada, the guide illustrates the unpredictability of investment tribunals in interpreting these prohibitions. It concludes by offering strategic options for developing nations to maintain their regulatory space, such as avoiding PR prohibitions in BITs or explicitly excluding certain sectors and mechanisms from such restrictions.

• Performance requirements (PR) are tools used by states to ensure foreign direct investment (FDI) aligns with national development goals, such as increasing local content, creating jobs, transferring technology, or improving environmental and social outcomes.
• Empirical evidence suggests that PRs are not inherently detrimental to FDI; countries like Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, China, India, and Botswana have successfully used industrial policies including PRs to drive economic growth.
• The WTO's Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures (TRIMs) prohibits specific PRs related to local content, trade balancing, and export restrictions, though developing countries and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) may benefit from temporary exemptions.
• While most traditional Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) are silent on PRs, there is a growing minority of treaties—particularly those involving the US and Canada—that explicitly prohibit them through 'MIC' or 'MIC+' clauses.
• MIC+ clauses, such as those in NAFTA, are more restrictive than WTO rules because they often extend prohibitions to the pre-establishment phase and cover a wider range of requirements, including the transfer of technology.
• Investment tribunals show inconsistency in interpreting PR prohibitions: the Lemire v. Ukraine case showed deference to state sovereignty by focusing on the goal of promoting cultural heritage, whereas the Mobil Oil v. Canada case took an extensive interpretation focusing on the effect of the measure.
• The Mobil Oil v. Canada decision demonstrates that tribunals may unexpectedly narrow the scope of state reservations, potentially dismantling exclusions for non-conforming measures.
• Other treaty clauses, such as pre-establishment rights, Most Favored Nation (MFN) clauses, and personnel employment clauses, can indirectly limit a state's ability to impose PRs even if the treaty does not explicitly prohibit them.

APA

Nikièma, S. H. (2014). Les prescriptions de résultats dans les traités d’investissements. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/best-practices-performance-requirements-investment-treaties-fr.pdf

Chicago

Nikièma, Suzy H. Les prescriptions de résultats dans les traités d’investissements. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2014. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/best-practices-performance-requirements-investment-treaties-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Nikièma |first1=Suzy H. |title=Les prescriptions de résultats dans les traités d’investissements |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=December 2014 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/best-practices-performance-requirements-investment-treaties-fr.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{nikima2014les, author = {Nikièma, Suzy H.}, title = {{Les prescriptions de résultats dans les traités d’investissements}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2014}, month = dec, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/best-practices-performance-requirements-investment-treaties-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }