Scottish Arbitration Centre hosts energy arbitration conference

The Scottish Arbitration Centre has hosted an international energy arbitration conference at its premises in Edinburgh.

The conference was organised by Adriana Viloria Severiche, Andreas Ioannides and Juan Neira Castro from the University of Dundee’s Centre for Energy, Petroleum, Mineral Law and Policy(CEPMLP), with sponsorship from CMS Cameron McKenna, and support from the International Centre for Energy Arbitration (ICEA), the Energy Charter, the Energy Arbitration List, the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), the International Mediation Institute

The conference focused on challenges and opportunities for energy arbitration over the next decade, and highlighted the progress that has been made in recent arbitral awards.

Around sixty delegates attended this very international conference, with speakers and delegates from Scotland, England, France, Germany, Poland, Spain, Cyprus, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Bolivia, Peru, UAE, Nigeria, Guinea and Indonesia.

Speakers at the conference included Professor Peter Cameron, CEPMLP and ICEA; Dr William Onorato, former legal advisor to the World Bank; Brandon Malone, Scottish Arbitration Centre and ICEA; Matteo Barra, Energy Charter Secretariat; Mark Appel, ICDR; Aleksander Kovacevic, Energy Community; Anthony Connerty, IDR Group; Peter Styles, Stratos European Policy Limited; Dr Marat Terterov, Brussels Energy Club; and Dr Daniel Behn, University of Oslo.

An afternoon round table discussion on the Yukos Case was led by Professor Loukas Mistelis, Queen Mary University London, with contributions fromProfessor A F M Maniruzzaman, University of Portsmouth; Dr Andrey Kotelnikov, Robert Gordon University; Alejandro I. Garcia, Winston & Strawn LLP; Ian Pryde; Explaining Eurasia; and Ana Stanic, E&A Law Limited.

The Scottish Arbitration Centre and CEPMLP work together on their joint project - the International Centre for Energy Arbitration (ICEA).

Earlier this year, after months of consultation with the energy industry, the ICEA launched its Initial Report on Dispute Resolution in the Energy Sector.

The report sets out the energy industry’s desired requirements for dispute resolution in the industry, with a view to establishing a set of bespoke energy arbitration rules.

In closing remarks, Professor Cameron said: “I am grateful to the speakers and delegates who have attended this exciting conference, some who have come from very far away to be here.

“The discussions on the changing face of energy disputes and the interest in mediation as well as arbitration have been fascinating.

“The panel discussions on energy policy, particularly in the renewable energy sector, and the Yucos case have proved lively and informative. I would like to thank sponsors, speakers and delegates, and in particular the organising committee.”

Andrew Mackenzie, chief executive of the Scottish Arbitration Centre, said: “The overwhelming interest we have had in this conference, and the high number of delegates from both within the UK and abroad, demonstrate that the energy sector is increasingly looking to arbitration as an effective means of resolving energy disputes.

“The international representation at the conference also speaks to the profile of Scotland as a leading jurisdiction on energy arbitration. The Centre would like to congratulate the CEPMLP student committee on organising a very successful event.”