Open Lecture on “Advanced Introduction to Space Administrative Law”

Professor Jakub Handrlica’s open lecture on “Advanced Introduction to Space Administrative Law”

Jakub Handrlica, Full Professor in Administrate Law and Vice-Dean for Postgraduate studies at Charles University, Prague will deliver an open lecture on Thursday 24th at 16:00 (Athens Time Zone) with a special guest Captain Ilias Tsitsios, Law Faculty, Aristotle University in Thessaloniki. The lecture will provide an “Advanced Introduction to Space Administrative Law” and it will address 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.

The event is open to the public and will be held in English both in situ, at the EPLO (European Public Law Organization) premises at the Roman Agora, and online.

FREE to watch HERE

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Advanced Introduction to Space Administrative Law

Regulation of any activities in space used to be the object of international public law for several decades. It reflected the fact that states, as subjects of international public law, played a key role in the development of space activities. In the last decade, however, there has been a rising tendency to govern space activities also using administrative law. Commercialization and privatization of space, developments in space tourism, space pharmacy and the use of nanosatellites for connectivity services have triggered the need to establish rules on permitting, registration, surveillance, and liability. Thus, while space activities were a matter of regulation by the means of international public law almost exclusively, there has been a considerable tendency towards governing by the means of administrative law. National legislation was in the last year, among other things, in Greece (2017), Portugal (2019), Luxembourg (2020), Slovenia (2022), and most recently in Cyprus and the Principality of Liechtenstein (2023). Legislative activities towards national space legislation are currently pending in Italy, Latvia, Poland, and Spain. Also, the European Commission has announced that it will present a draft of the EU Space Act.

The lecture will underline the argument for the gradual emergence of a space administrative law in Europe while addressing topical issues related to this tendency.

About the speakers:

Jakub Handrlica is a Full Professor in Administrative Law at the Law Faculty, Charles University in Prague. His main areas of research interest have been energy law, nuclear law and space law. On these topics, he has published several articles in international journals, such as the Journal of World Energy Law & Business, Journal of Energy and Natural Resources Law, Review of European, Comparative & International Environmental Law (CIEL) etc. He is an active member of the International Nuclear Law Association and the Czech Society for International Law. In 2020, he was awarded the title of Research Professor by the Czech Academy of Sciences.

Ilias Tsitsios is a Teaching Assistant in Space Law and Space Economy at the Law Faculty, at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki. He graduated with a degree in aviation science from the Hellenic Air Force Academy and in law from the Law Faculty at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki. He acts as a Greek Chapter National Representative in the Air & Space Law Society.