Yes

This study discusses how the World Trade Organization could promote the development of an international gas market by playing a more prominent role in regulating rights essential to effective pipeline gas transit. Gas transit is network-dependent in the sense that it cannot be established without the existence of pipeline infrastructure in the territory of a transit State and the ability to access this infrastructure. Nevertheless, at an inter-regional level, there are no sufficient pipeline networks that would allow gas to travel freely from a supplier to the most lucrative markets. The existing networks are often operated by either private or State-controlled vertically-integrated monopolies that are usually reluctant to release unused pipeline capacity to their potential competitors. These obstacles diminish the gains from trade for States endowed with scarce and relatively immobile natural resources, such as gas, including developing land-locked countries that rely on revenues from gas exports. These obstacles can also undermine Members’ energy security and their sustainable development achieved by shifting domestic production from dirty fuels to cleaner energy sources – namely gas. From a technical perspective, gas transit can be established by invoking what is referred to in this study as ‘third-party access’ and/or ‘capacity establishment’ rights. The first main question that this thesis analyses is, therefore, whether, and, if so, how these rights are regulated by WTO rules relevant to transit, including: GATT Article V:2 (first and second sentences) establishing the principles of freedom of transit and non-discrimination, the ‘non-violation complaint’ provision under GATT Article XXIII:1(b), and the GATS. This question has not been answered by WTO panels or examined sufficiently by scholars. The key contribution of this study to the existing academic literature on energy transit lies in the fact that this study analyses the above rules through the prism of systemic integration of WTO law sources with other relevant rules of public international law, including principles of general international law and treaties regulating transit. By contrast, previous researchers discussed the regulation of third-party access and capacity establishment rights from a limited perspective of WTO law. The second main question examined in this study is how WTO transit rules could be improved through a legislative reform to regulate particular aspects of trade in pipeline gas better – namely third-party access and capacity establishment rights. This question is answered by exploring two options: the codification of the existing principles of general international law relevant to these rights in the WTO legal system and the progressive development of WTO transit rules through the expansion of additional commitments of Members on energy services under the GATS. While this study analyses the relationship between WTO transit obligations and inherent ancillary rights (namely third-party access and capacity establishment rights) implied in these obligations in the context of trade in pipeline gas, the conclusions reached here may have practical application in other areas of network-bound trade, such as trade in electric power.

Esta dissertação analisa a exceção de ofensa à ordem pública como causa de recusa do reconhecimento e/ou execução da sentença arbitral estrangeira. Busca-se inicialmente determinar o conceito de ordem pública e sua extensão. Antes disso, contudo, elabora-se um breve panorama sobre sentença estrangeira e arbitragem comercial internacional, faz-se um apanhado histórico da homologação de sentença estrangeira no Brasil, analisa-se os aspectos gerais da homologação de sentenças arbitrais estrangeiras, as normas de origem interna e os tratados internacionais com vigência no Brasil, o procedimento homologatório e os pressupostos positivos e negativos da homologação. Após, analisa-se a ordem pública interna, internacional e transnacional, assim como a ordem pública processual e material. Em seguida, examina-se a extensão que a doutrina e a jurisprudência têm conferido ao conceito de ordem pública de que trata o art. V (2) (b) da Convenção de Nova Iorque e o art. 39, II da Lei nº. 9.307/96. Posteriormente, analisa-se alguns temas que já suscitaram questionamentos de ofensa à ordem pública, os casos já julgados pelo STF e STJ de homologação de sentenças arbitrais estrangeiras com alegação de ofensa à ordem pública e como o posicionamento do Judiciário, sob o enfoque da Análise Econômica do Direito, afeta os custos de transação dos negócios comerciais. Defende-se ao final do trabalho a necessidade de se restringir o campo de aplicação e o alcance dos questionamentos de ofensa à ordem pública. O objetivo do estudo é demonstrar que a ordem pública deve ser interpretada restritivamente e que a intervenção deve ser excepcional. / This Masters degree thesis analyzes the exception given to public policy offenses as a cause for the refusal of recognition and/or enforcement of foreign arbitral awards. This research initially attempts to define the concept of public policy and its extension. Prior to that, however, a brief analysis of foreign awards and international commercial arbitration as well as a historical overview of homologation in Brazil are drawn, and the general aspects of the recognition of foreign arbitral awards and the internal rules and international treaties which are effective in Brazil, the homologation proceeding itself, and both the positive and negative aspects of homologations are analyzed. Afterwards, the domestic, international and transnational public policies are analyzed, as well as the procedural and material public policy. Following, the meaning that the doctrine and jurisprudence have given to the concept of public policy presented in the Article V (2) (b) of the New York Convention, and in the Article 39 of Law No. II. 9.307/96 is examined. Later, some issues that have raised questionings related to public policy offenses are analyzed, as well as the cases already ruled by the Brazilian Supreme Court and the Superior Court of Justice for the homologation of foreign arbitral awards with alleged public order offenses and how the position of the judiciary, from the perspective of Economic Analysis of Law, affects transaction costs of business affairs. Finally, the need to limit both the scope of applications and the range of questionings concerning public policy offenses is defended. The main goal of this study is to demonstrate that public policy shall be strictly interpreted and that intervention must be exceptional.