15/12/2016 (Agence Europe) – On Thursday 15 December, the European Commission announced the continuation of the EU's support for a further three years for the operation of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Transparency Registry on the transparency of arbitration in disputes between investors and states (ISDS). The EU is one of the main donors to this registry, with a contribution of €100,000 announced in January 2015 (see EUROPE 11463), while the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) contributed US$125,000. The registry stems from UNCITRAL's new rules on ISDS transparency, which are applicable to all new investment agreements concluded after 1 April 2014. The registry is also a key feature of the United Nations Convention on Transparency in Treaty-based Investor-State Arbitration (the Mauritius Convention on Transparency) adopted in December 2014, which extends the application of the rules to the 3,000 investment treaties concluded worldwide before 1 April 2014. (EH)