Introduction

With this new issue we present up to date insights and intelligence including a special feature edited by Dr. Sanam S. Haghighi on "Energy Security" which intends to open an up-to-date debate about energy security while encompassing the current risks, as well as analyzing what this concept means for various players, and what strategies are or should be undertaken by them. Dr. Haghighi recently published the book "Energy Security - The External Legal Relations of the European Union with Major Oil and Gas Supplying Countries" (Hart Publishing).

In this issue we also introduce a new section dealing with Decommissioning, including material from the AIPN Europe-Africa Regional Chapter Meeting, "Decommissioning Security" held in May 2007.

We continue our coverage of Iraq with a paper analyzing Production-Sharing Contracts under the final draft petroleum law and we have a closer look at recent developments in Kazakhstan. European Union Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs on October 28 expressed concern over a recent Kazakh law on energy and resources, saying that the European Commission is "studying" the possible impact of the law on the liberalization of the country's energy sector. We would like to publish more comments on these developements en we hereby encourage people to submit material for publication.

Other highlights in this issue: the article by Alexei Zverev, Senior Counsel EBRD, dealing with "Quality of Concession Legislation in Early Transition Countries", interesting analyses and case comments related to international Oil, Gas & Energy disputes and International Contracts.