Open Lecture on “Advanced Introduction to Space Administrative Law

The Open Lecture at the European Law & Governance School (ELGS) featured a highly engaging session on “Advanced Introduction to Space Administrative Law.” We extend our deepest thanks to Prof. Jakub Handrilca, Full Professor in Administrate Law and Vice-Dean for Postgraduate studies at Charles University, Prague, and our special guest Captain Ilias Tsitsios, Law Faculty, Aristotle University in Thessaloniki for an insightful discussion that highlighted the shifting legal landscape in space governance.

The lecture will provided an “Advanced Introduction to Space Administrative Law” and addressed an up-to-date topic on the shift from international public law to administrative law in regulating space activities, driven by the commercialization and privatization of space-related sectors like space tourism and nanosatellites.

For decades, space activity regulation rested primarily within international public law. This approach, rooted in the prominent role of states, governed exploration, usage, and activities in outer space. But as space industries evolve, including sectors like space tourism, nanosatellite services, and space pharmacy, the need for administrative regulation has intensified. National governments now increasingly use administrative law for licensing, registration, surveillance, and liability in space, transforming the regulatory framework.

Recent legislation in countries like Greece, Portugal, Luxembourg, Slovenia, and, most recently, Cyprus and Liechtenstein exemplify this shift. Several European nations and the European Commission are advancing their own frameworks to address space’s expanding frontier.

The lecture expertly underscored the rise of space administrative law in Europe, exploring its implications and the pressing need for governance in our new era of commercialized and privatized space activities.