The Energy Charter Treaty

This chapter discusses on the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) that establishes a multilateral legal framework for cross-border energy cooperation and deals with the promotion and protection of investment, trade, and transit of energy goods. It provides some information about the ECT in order to better understand the context in which the PA relationship between the Commission and the member states is analysed. The chapter covers the institutional framework of the ECT and the rules for the adoption of the decisions within the institutions created by the ECT. It identifies the horizontal and vertical preference alignment for the case of the ECT. The chapter distinguishes between two units of observation: the first one looks at the process leading to the conclusion of the ECT, i.e. the negotiation phase of negotiations of the ECT. The second part looks at the role of the Commission in the institutional framework created by the ECT, notably the Energy Charter Conference.