Birthing a Regime – The First Wave of Western European Bilateral Investment Treaties (1959-1989).

The research project is a legal historical analysis of the early history (1959-1989) of Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs), on the basis of case studies of key actors in Western Europe (Germany, Switzerland, France, Netherlands, UK). Using archival material, the research evaluates the reasons behind BIT negotiations, the meaning diplomats gave to concrete provisions, and the development of a “BIT regime”.