FIDIC at the Frontier: Amendments, Adaptation and the Limits of Standard Forms in the Energy Transition

This talk explores the persistent tension at the heart of FIDIC contracting: the desire to tailor the standard form to suit a particular project, and the disputes that bespoke amendments can often generate. The panel will examine FIDIC’s own “Golden Principles” for permissible amendment, and ask how faithfully they are observed in practice, as well as exploring common but high risk edits that repeatedly give rise to claims. Against the backdrop of FIDIC’s expanding use across new sectors, jurisdictions and delivery models, the panel will consider a fundamental question: will there comes a point at which heavy adaptation ceases to be sensible, and parties would be better served by abandoning amendment in favour of a form designed for the task at hand.