Artificial intelligence, digitalisation, immigration, environment, food safety, workers' rights, common market, public order: these are just some of the present and future challenges that the European Union is facing regarding common regulation. The Universities of Trieste and Udine will be analysing these topics from 21st to 23rd May in the Biasutti Room of the FVG Palace in Trieste, on the occasion of the 8th Conference of the inter-university PhD in ‘Law and Innovation in the European Legal Space’.

Around forty young scholars from roughly fifteen Italian universities are expected to contribute across ten interdisciplinary sessions based around the field of law.

Established in 2017 as an interactive workshop for PhD students exclusively from FVG universities, the initiative is now open to participation from PhD students from other locations, selected based on responses to a call for papers.

The Conference will open on Wednesday 21st May at 15:00, with institutional greetings from the President of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Massimiliano Fedriga, the head of UniTS Department of Law, Language, Interpretation and Translation, Gian Paolo Dolso, and the head of UniUD Department Law, Silvia Bolognini. 

The coordinator of the PhD course, Marina Brollo from the University of Udine, and the deputy coordinator, Angelo Venchiarutti from the University of Trieste, will introduce the proceedings. This will be followed by the first session, discussing ‘Fundamental Rights: between traditional categories and new protection requirements’ and moderated by Dimitri Girotto from the University of Udine. The second day (Thursday 22nd May, from 9:00) will start with ‘Tax law: between artificial intelligence and new regulatory requirements’, chaired by Mario Nussi from the University of Udine. This will be followed by a session on ‘Sanctioning systems: judges and artificial intelligence’, chaired by Federico Costantini of the University of Udine. In the afternoon (from 14:30) the conference will focus on ‘Risks and civil liability in the “digital age”’, chaired by Raffaella Pasquili from the University of Udine. The last session will be on ‘New challenges: environment, immigration, governance, food security’ and will be moderated by Fabio Spitaleri from the University of Trieste. 

The last day (Friday 23rd May, from 9:00) will open with ‘Navigation law: from ancient Rome to current challenges’ moderated by Massimo Campailla from the University of Trieste. This will be followed by a session on ‘Business Crisis and Insolvency Code, Civil and Criminal Proceedings’ moderated by Elisa Grisonich from the University of Genoa. The following topic will be ‘Administrative, labour and commercial law: comparing Italy and Spain’, chaired by Roberta Nunin from the University of Trieste. In the afternoon (from 14:30) the final two sessions will discuss ‘Internal and supranational public law’, moderated by Ludovico Mazzarolli from the University of Udine, and ‘Constitution and administration’, moderated by Francesco Emanuele Grisostolo from the University of Udine. 

The conference will conclude with a speech by Laura Montanari from the University of Udine, former coordinator of the PhD course.