能源憲章條約之談判始於90年代初期，並於1994年12月17日完成簽署。條約談判期間適逢前蘇聯與東歐之政治版圖重劃之際，故期望藉此，加速前蘇聯與東歐之經濟復甦與自由市場改革，並同時開放西方國家能源公司投資機會，增進西歐能源安全之需求。該條約涵括之能源部門包括煤、電力能源、天然氣、石油與石化產品、核能物資、木柴燃料，以及木炭。該條約規範了投資保護、貿易、輸送、競爭，以及環境等層面，除了訂定一部份具有拘束性之條款外，亦涵括若干敦促各締約國盡最大努力之規定。該條約乃是第一個針對特定部門〔能源〕所簽訂之多邊投資條約，並且主要由歐洲國家大力支持該條約之談判與簽署。在國際投資多邊協定之發展過程中，該條約象徵了促進國際投資與國際投資保護的里程碑。能源憲章條約建立了一套精心設計的爭端解決機制。透過此一機制可加強投資人之信心，進而促進投資並達成條約所推動之目標。該條約有關國際投資爭端解決之主要規定見於該條約第五篇之三項條款：第26條及第27條訂定投資爭端解決機制，而第28條則規定訴諸爭端解決機制之若干限制。由此觀之，能源憲章條約為外國投資人建立一套防禦機制，用以對抗地主國所採取之不合理或具有歧視性之措施。

The Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), signed on 17 December 1994, was negotiated in the early 1990s during the course of, and in response to, the redrawing of the political map of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. The ECT originated as a mechanism for accelerating economic recovery and free market reforms in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, while at the same time opening up investment opportunities for Western energy corporations and advancing the energy security requirements of Western Europe. The scope of the Treaty includes coal, electrical energy, natural gas, petroleum and petroleum products, nuclear energy materials, fuel wood and charcoal. It establishes obligations, in some cases binding and in other cases best efforts, relating to investment protection, trade, transit, competition and environment. The Energy Charter Treaty is the first multilateral, sector-specific (energy) investment treaty to gain support from Europe. It represents a milestone in the development of multilateral agreements for the promotion and protection of international investment. The Energy Charter Treaty contains a well-developed mechanism of dispute resolution. Such provisions are important as they reinforce the confidence of investors, thereby promoting the investment flows that the Treaty was intended to encourage. The Treaty's investment dispute resolution provisions are in Part V which is comprised of three articles. Articles 26 and 27 establish investment dispute settlement mechanisms, and Article 28 puts limits on access to one of those mechanisms. The Energy Charter Treaty provides an important array of defensive measures for foreign investors against unreasonable and discriminatory host state action.