(1) The term “freedom of transfer” in Article 14(1) does not preclude a Contracting Party (hereinafter referred to as the “Limiting Party”) from applying restrictions on movement of capital by its own Investors, provided that:
(2) This Decision shall be subject to examination by the Charter Conference five years after entry into force of the Treaty, but not later than the date envisaged in Article 32(3).
(3) No Contracting Party shall be eligible to apply such restrictions unless it is a Contracting Party which is a state that was a constituent part of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, which has notified the provisional Secretariat in writing no later than 1 July 1995 that it elects to be eligible to apply restrictions in accordance with this Decision.
(4) For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this Decision shall derogate, as concerns Article 16, from the rights hereunder of a Contracting Party, its Investors or their Investments, or from the obligations of a Contracting Party.
(5) For the purposes of this Decision:
Having followed the long and difficult discussions on the Freedom of Transfers, I note that certain countries in transition have drawn attention to their interpretation of Decision No 3 which I think to be correct: the rights granted to Investors of other Contracting Parties under paragraph 1(a) of Decision No 3 do not preclude these countries from applying, without derogating from paragraphs 1(b) and (c), (2), (3) and (4) of that Decision, restrictions on movement of capital made by their Investors.
The purpose of this letter is to confirm that with regard to Decision No 3 of the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) concerning transfer of payments and especially to the footnote to this Decision, Article 105 in our Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), signed at Corfu, 24 June 1994, shall not have the effect of disapplying Article 16 of the ECT in relation to Decision No 3.
I propose that this letter and your reply will establish a formal agreement between us.
I took note of your letter of 17 December 1994, the purpose of which is the confirmation that with regard to Decision N° 3 of the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) concerning transfer of payments, and especially to the footnote to this Decision, Article 105 of the Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation establishing a partnership between the Russian Federation, of the one part, and the European Communities and their Member States, of the other part (PCA), signed at Corfu on 24 June 1994, shall not have the effect of disapplying Article 16 of the ECT in relation to Decision N° 3.
I agree that your letter and this reply will establish a formal agreement between us.
(1) Each Contracting Party shall with respect to Investments in its Area of Investors of any other Contracting Party guarantee the freedom of transfer into and out of its Area, including the transfer of:
(2) Transfers under paragraph (1) shall be effected without delay and (except in case of a Return in kind) in a Freely Convertible Currency.
Decision 4 with respect to the Energy Charter Treaty (Annex 2 to the Final Act of the European Energy Charter Conference): www.energycharter.org.
Editor’s note: The applicability of this Decision terminated since Romania introduced full convertibility of its currency
(3) Transfers shall be made at the market rate of exchange existing on the date of transfer with respect to spot transactions in the currency to be transferred. In the absence of a market for foreign exchange, the rate to be used will be the most recent rate applied to inward investments or the most recent exchange rate for conversion of currencies into Special Drawing Rights, whichever is more favourable to the Investor.
(4) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) to (3), a Contracting Party may protect the rights of creditors, or ensure compliance with laws on the issuing, trading and dealing in securities and the satisfaction of judgements in civil, administrative and criminal adjudicatory proceedings, through the equitable, non-discriminatory, and good faith application of its laws and regulations.
(5) Notwithstanding paragraph (2), Contracting Parties which are states that were constituent parts of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics may provide in agreements concluded between them that transfers of payments shall be made in the currencies of such Contracting Parties, provided that such agreements do not treat Investments in their Areas of Investors of other Contracting Parties less favourably than either Investments of Investors of the Contracting Parties which have entered into such agreements or Investments of Investors of any third state.
It is intended that a Contracting Party which enters into an agreement referred to in Article 14(5) ensure that the conditions of such an agreement are not in contradiction with that Contracting Party’s obligations under the Articles of Agreement of the International Monetary Fund.
(6) Notwithstanding subparagraph (1)(b), a Contracting Party may restrict the transfer of a Return in kind in circumstances where the Contracting Party is permitted under Article 29(2)(a) or the WTO Agreement to restrict or prohibit the exportation or the sale for export of the product constituting the Return in kind; provided that a Contracting Party shall permit transfers of Returns in kind to be effected as authorised or specified in an investment agreement, investment authorisation, or other written agreement between the Contracting Party and either an Investor of another Contracting Party or its Investment.