Arbitration tribunals, in particular those established under the ICSID
Convention, refuse to adhere to the judgment of the Court of Justice of the
European Union in Achmea. Are EU Member States at their mercy? So
goes the story presented at conferences and roadshows, as well as in academic
publications, which often point to the special protection that ICSID awards
enjoy pursuant to Articles 53 and 54 of the ICSID Convention (this element is
also often recalled by ICSID tribunals in awards in reaction to arguments based
on Union law, in particular the unenforceability of intra-EU awards). This
article sets out effective weapons that EU Member States may deploy prior to,
during, and after the arbitration procedure, in order to enforce effectively
the judgment in Achmea.