Contrats gouvernementaux: droit comparé et droit international.

The study is about the activities of public entities in international trade, more precisely, about international government procurement. The law of government contracts, in international and municipal law, seeks to balance the stability of contractual relations between the parties and the mutability of the contract which flows from a recognition of the primacy of the public interest. The precise balance struck varies from one legal system to another. Part One of the work looks, firstly, at the recognition, immunities and capacity of public entities in international commercial transactions. Secondly, it treats the conflict of laws rules applicable before national and arbitral jurisdictions. Thirdly, it explores the various possibilities of applicable law, namely the law of the contracting State, the lex mercatoria and public international law. Part Two examines, from a comparative perspective, the notions of "public body", "public contract" and "contrat administratif" in Ameircan, English and French law. The third part explores two main themes. Firstly, the process of procurement in national law, European law, and under the Agreement on Government Procurement; and secondly, the question of the stability of the contractual obligations which can be disturbed by unilateral interventions of the contracting public entity and by external supervening events