Italy
The Italian NPOC
The ECSL Italian NPOC was first created as the Italian Centre for Space Law, dated 27 April 1992. In 2001, the Institute for International Legal Studies (Istituto di Studi Giuridici Internazionali-ISGI) of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) took over the role of Italian NPOC at the initiative of the ISGI founding director, Prof. Sergio Marchisio. Progressively, the Italian NPOC has consolidated its activities with the Department of Political Sciences (DSP) of Sapienza University of Rome.
As of 1 January 2022, the Institute of the CNR and the DSP have jointly taken the role of Italian NPOC, following the adoption of a new Statute aimed at consolidating their longstanding partnership. This new governance greatly improved the vision and the efficiency of the NPOC. Indeed, new activities are being undertaken. Notably, Italian NPOC dedicated web pages will soon be available on the DSP website as a platform for spreading information on ECSL and Italian NPOC activities. Furthermore, a periodic newsletter will be published.
The core group of people managing the Italian NPOC is composed of Prof. Sergio Marchisio, Viviana Iavicoli (ISGI researcher), Gianfranco Nucera, Pierfrancesco Breccia, Anne-Sophie Martin, Alessandra Matteis and Maria Vittoria Prest (Sapienza researchers).
Objectives
The Italian NPOC, acting as the interface between the ECSL and the Italian space law community, pursues the main objectives of spreading the knowledge of space law and networking academicians and professionals by a) providing scientific and organizational support to ECSL initiatives; b) carrying out information activities on the law of outer space activities; c) organizing and promoting initiatives for the study of space law; d) carrying out educational activities in this field, including in collaboration with public and private entities; e) conducting research and ensuring wide dissemination of relevant scientific results.
Activities
Over the years, the Italian NPOC has contributed with high involvement to the ECSL’s efforts to stand as a reference point for space law and policy matters.
First, the Italian NPOC supports the organization of the Regional Rounds of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition. Italy hosted two editions of the European Rounds, in 2003 at the University of Macerata, in partnership with the “Centro di Studi Gentiliani”; and in 2013 at Sapienza University of Rome, in collaboration with the ISGI. Italian students themselves took part in the Competition. In 2009, a team from the University of Genoa, trained by Prof. C. Golda, made it to the European Semi-Finals in Athens, with a member awarded as the “best oralist”. Furthermore, in 2017 and 2018 Sapienza University of Rome participated in the Manfred Lachs Moot Court Competition.
Italy has also been home to five editions of the ECSL Summer Course. From the very first edition of the Course, held in the city of Messina in 1992, the commitment of the Italian NPOC in organizing such an educational and enriching event for students and young professionals continued with other four editions taking place in Perugia (2005), Genoa (2008), Rome (2017) and Messina (2019). In particular, during the 26th ECSL Summer Course edition, organized by Sapienza University of Rome, the ESA ESRIN Centre for Earth observation hosted lectures and other events. In 2019, the Course was organised in collaboration with the University of Messina and the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, giving the opportunity to students to discover technical equipment and instruments used to monitor Mount Etna activities.
The Italian NPOC is also actively involved in the promotion of the Young Lawyers’ Symposium (YLS) among students (up to PhD level) and professionals. Every year, Italian students and young professionals present their papers and participate in their respective YLS panels.
The Italian NPOC as well provides educational and training opportunities. Indeed, since 2000, Prof. Sergio Marchisio has been holding a course on the law of outer space activities within the Master’s degree programme in International Relations at Sapienza University of Rome. Furthermore, since 2009, the Italian NPOC has set up and organized a Master in “Space Institutions and Policies”, in cooperation with the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the Italian Society for International Organization (SIOI), with the patronage of the ECSL.
The Italian NPOC also supports the Italian Delegation to the sessions of the COPUOS and its Subcommittees, and carries out consultancy activities and collaborations in the field of space law for national institutions, such as the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Italian Space Agency.
For more information:
Research Team
Department of Political Sciences
Sapienza University of Rome
P.le Aldo Moro, 5
00185 Rome
