The text of the International Energy Charter was worked out on the basis of the European Energy Charter of 1991.
Around 80 states took part in negotiations on the International Energy Charter, which were conducted throughout the year 2014 at the Headquarters of the Energy Charter Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium. The negotiations started on the basis of the text of the European Energy Charter which was adopted back in 1991 in The Hague (“The Hague I”). Non-signatories of this historic declaration joined the negotiations on an equal footing with its signatories. The objective has been to work out a text reflecting modern energy challenges as well as the ambition of the Energy Charter to play a leading role in the evolving architecture of global energy governance.
The negotiations were conducted in four rounds during 2014. They were open to any interested state. The parties included Signatories of the European Energy Charter, Observers to the Energy Charter Conference by invitation and other states.
