Tag: European Commission

Announcing the New Jean Monnet Module in European and International Environmental Law (EIEL)

Posted on by dariopiselli in EULawSD Module

The academic staff of the Jean Monnet Module in European Union Law and Sustainable Development is excited to announce that the European Commission, through its Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), has awarded EULawSD members Riccardo Pavoni, Dario Piselli and Sonia Carmignani their second Erasmus+ grant for Jean Monnet Activities, as part of its 2020 call for proposals.

The grant concerns a new Jean Monnet Module, entitled ‘European and International Environmental Law‘ (EIEL), which is closely related to, and builds upon, the activities of the EULawSD module. In particular, the module aims to provide students, practitioners and civil society with in-depth knowledge about the state of the art of European and international environmental law and policy, its achievements and challenges, and its interaction with emerging environmental issues and landmark intergovernmental processes.

Two overarching themes will run through the module, informing the discussion of both cross-cutting and sectoral topics in all project activities. The first is the importance that will be attributed to the most pressing and/or emerging issues in European and international environmental law, with an emphasis on the Union’s approach to the two major planetary crisis of climate change and biodiversity loss and its role in the implementation of the relevant international legal instruments (i.e. the Paris Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity and its post-2020 framework). The second will be represented by a particular focus on implementation and enforcement at the level of the EU and its Member States, consistent with the outstanding needs outlined in the Commission’s latest Environmental Implementation Review (2019).

The EIEL module will similarly be hosted by the Department of Law of the University of Siena, and will be implemented for three years starting on September 1st, 2020. Module activities will consist of the following: (i) 50 hours of lectures, group discussions and seminars across four courses offered by the Department of Law; (ii) engagement of academics, practitioners and civil society through public keynote lectures, webinars and a final conference; and (iii) a dedicated website, social media pages, a newsletter and at least two publications which will facilitate the dissemination of the project’s research outputs.

Riccardo Pavoni and Dario Piselli will retain their roles as academic coordinator and programme manager of the new module, respectively, while Sonia Carmignani will remain a key teaching staff member. The EIEL team will also include two new key teaching staff members, Professor Elisa Morgera and Gabriele Salvi. Elisa Morgera is widely recognised as one of the world’s foremost experts in the field of international environmental law. She is currently Professor of Global Environmental Law at the University of Strathclyde Glasgow and Co-Director of the Strathclyde Centre for Environmental Law and Governance. Gabriele Salvi is a Senior Researcher in Civil Law at the University of Siena, and brings a specific expertise in the private law aspects of European environmental law to the team.

Photo credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2019), processed by European Space Agency, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO.

First two webinars of the 2019 EULawSD Webinar Series announced

Posted on by dariopiselli in EULawSD Module, Events and Opportunities

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The academic staff of the Jean Monnet Module in European Union Law and Sustainable Development is honoured to announce the first two webinars of the 2019 EULawSD Webinar Series. On April 4th (at 3pm CET), we will host Marianne Kettunen, Principal Policy Analyst and Head of the Programme on Global Challenges and SDGs for the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP). Kettunen will discuss the current prospects for SDG implementation in the European Union in the light of the recent Reflection Paper ‘Towards a Sustainable Europe by 2030‘, published by the European Commission in order to highlight different strategies and priorities for the further incorporation the 2030 Agenda in the policies and actions of European institutions and the Union’s member states.

On April 26th (at 12pm CET), Gabriela A. Oanta, Associate Professor of Public International Law at Universidade da Coruña and Director of its University Institute for European Studies, will instead deliver a lecture on whether the European Union’s current approach to negotiating Fisheries Partnership Agreements with third countries can contribute to (or undermine) global efforts to achieve SDG 14 on ‘Life Below Water’.

Both webinars will be visible live on our YouTube channel.

European Commission’s Reflection Paper on a Sustainable Europe by 2030 is out!

Posted on by dariopiselli in EU News and Info, Sustainable Development Goals

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On 30 January, the European Commission has finally presented its long-awaited reflection paper on implementing the 2030 Agenda in the EU, which was originally expected in the first half of 2018. The paper, titled ‘Towards a Sustainable Europe by 2030‘, discusses the key policy foundations and horizontal enablers needed to achieve a sustainable Europe by 2030. In addition, the paper presents and analyses three possible scenarios that could shape a Union-wide strategy on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and namely: (i) an overarching SDG strategy to guide all the actions of the EU and its member states; (ii) a continued mainstreaming of the SDGs in the policies of the Commission, without enforcement at the member states’ level; and (iii) a consolidation of existing policies, coupled with an increased focus on the SDGs in the external action of the EU.

In its preliminary assessment of the paper, the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) has welcomed the urgency and wide scope of the Commission’s work, while also emphasising that only the adoption of the first proposed scenario would be able to deliver on the EU’s commitments by 2030. Moreover, the IEEP recommended a series of concrete policy actions that would be required to implement (and improve upon) the policy foundations and horizontal enablers identified by the Commission.

29 June 2018: Faustine Bas-Defossez in next EULawSD Webinar

Posted on by dariopiselli in EULawSD Module, Events and Opportunities

originalThe academic staff of the Jean Monnet Module on European Union Law and Sustainable Development is pleased to announce that on 29 June 2018,  it will be hosting Ms. Faustine Bas-Defossez, Head of the Agriculture and Land Development Programme at the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), for the third session of the EULawSD Webinar Series 2018.

In our webinar, Ms. Bas-Defossez will explore the environmental dimension of the current CAP as well as its post-2020 reform, focusing on issues including IEEP’s recent evaluation of the CAP’s greening measures, the Commission’s legislative proposal on the post-2020 CAP, and the CAP-related aspects of the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework.

The webinar will be visible live on our YouTube channel, and will be recorded at this link. We encourage you to set a reminder to save the date!

  • Where? On EULawSD’s Youtube Channel: “EU Law and Sustainable Development” or just below on this page!
  • When? Wednesday, 29 June 2018, 15.30-16.30 CEST
  • More info: eulawsd@unisi.it
  • FB Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/186628228844269/

The webinar will be held in English and is open to all internet users, without registration.

23 March 2018: Prof. Barbara Pozzo to deliver EULawSD keynote lecture on environmental damage

Posted on by dariopiselli in EULawSD Module, Events and Opportunities

1052_7_INSUBRIA_0233This week, a new keynote lecture will enrich the activities of our Jean Monnet Module in European Union Law and Sustainable Development. Prof. Barbara Pozzo, among Europe’s leading experts on private and comparative environmental law, will deliver a lecture on “The Trajectory of Environmental Damage in Europe” on Friday, 23 March 2018 at 10:00 CET. The event will be hosted by the Department of Law of the University of Siena (Aula D).

Prof. Barbara Pozzo is Professor of Comparative Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Insubria in Como (Italy) since 2001, where she teaches Comparative Legal Systems, Comparative Law and Language and Legal Translation. She is the Director of the Summer School Program in Comparative Environmental Law, in association with UC Davis Law School, and approved by the American Bar Association. Since 2002, Prof. Pozzo is also the Director of the Ph. D. Program in Comparative Law at the University of Milan, where she has also served as the Director of the Master Program in Environmental Law (since 2001 and until 2010).

Prof. Pozzo has been visiting professor at the University of Hamburg, Montpellier, Louisiana State University, Fordham University, University of California at Davis, McGeorge School of Law at Pacific University, William S. Boyd School of Law at Nevada University. She is the Editor of two Series: Le Lingue del Diritto (The Languages of the Law) and Diritto ed Economia dell’Ambiente (Law and Economics of the Environment), both published by Giuffrè (Milan).

Prof. Pozzo has collaborated with various EU Institutions, such as Directorate General on Translation and Directorate General – Clima (Unit Adaptation) of the EU Commission, as well as with the EU Parliament.

1 March 2018: EULawSD Webinar with Guido Schmidt-Traub

Posted on by dariopiselli in Events and Opportunities

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On 1 March 2018 (11.30am CET), the Jean Monnet Module on European Union Law and Sustainable Development (EULawSD), in collaboration with the University of Siena, will host the first session of its EULawSD Webinar Series 2018 on YouTube.

The EULawSD Webinar Series complements the teaching activities of the EULawSD Jean Monnet Module, which is coordinated by Prof. Riccardo Pavoni (Department of Law, University of Siena) and co-funded by the European Commission for the period 2017-2020. Each webinar is aimed at fostering a lively public debate on the role of the European Union as a key actor in the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and offers all interested citizens the opportunity to engage with leading experts and practitioners in the fields of European Union law and governance, sustainability science, international economics, and many more.

EULawSD’s first guest will be Dr. Guido Schmidt-Traub, Executive Director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).  One of the world’s leading experts on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda, Dr. Schmidt-Traub will discuss the current trends and scenarios for their implementation in the European context, the challenges of financing and monitoring of progress, and the role that the European Union can play in the achieving sustainable development in third countries.

The webinar will be visible live on EULawSD’s YouTube channel, and will be recorded at this link for future viewing. Set a reminder!

  • Where? On EULawSD’s Youtube Channel: “EU Law and Sustainable Development” or just below on this page!
  • When? Thursday, 1 March 2018, 11.30 – 12.30 CET
  • More info: eulawsd@unisi.it
  • FB Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1610786645681932/

The webinar will be held in English and is open to all internet users, without registration.

Sustainable Development in the EU: 2017 monitoring report

Posted on by dariopiselli in Sustainable Development Goals

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On 20 November, the Statistical Office of the European Union (EUROSTAT) published the 2017 edition of “Sustainable Development in the European Union“, its monitoring report on the state of the EU progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Report is the first to come out since the European Commission adopted its Communication (COM(2016) 739) on “Next Steps for a Sustainable European Future“, which maps the alignment of current EU policies with the SDG framework and provides for regular monitoring of progress. EUROSTAT has selected a subset of SDG indicators (100 out of 232) which are closely linked to the Communication, as well as to the accompanying document “Key European action supporting the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals“. For those indicators (16) to which a current EU policy target is associated, the Report explores the EU progress towards that target, whereas all other indicators are monitored according to the direction and speed of change. Progress at the goal level is then measured as an average of progress of individual indicators under the specific SDG.

According to the Statistical Office, in a five-year time span the European Union has made progress towards all SDGs, even though instances where the member States have moved away from a sustainable development trajectory are also evident within individual goals.  In particular, significant progress has been achieved for SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 15 (Life on Land).

This does not necessarily indicate that the status of the goal has already reached a satisfactory level for the EU. For example, progress on the conservation of terrestrial ecosystems under SDG15 does not mean that ecosystems and biodiversity across the member States are in good health. In addition, there have been only moderate advancements for eight SDGs, with SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) lagging far behind the others. Finally, for four SDGs (including SDG 6, Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG 13, Climate Action, SDG 14, Life Below Water, and SDG 16, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), EUROSTAT concludes that it has been impossible to evaluate trends due to insufficient data, something which is particularly worrying in the context of fundamental challenges such as climate change, degradation of marine ecosystems, and a rising authoritarian wave in the European continent.

To read all the key trends and statistics from the Report, download it here. 

 

New Keynote Lecture Announced: Prof. Barbara Pozzo on the trajectory of environmental damage in Europe

Posted on by dariopiselli in EULawSD Module, Events and Opportunities

1052_7_INSUBRIA_0233We are honoured to announce a new guest for our 2017/2018 EULawSD Keynote Lecture Series. Prof. Barbara Pozzo, among Europe’s leading experts on private and comparative environmental law, will deliver a lecture on “The Trajectory of Environmental Damage in Europe” on Friday, 23 March 2018 at 10:00 CET.

Prof. Barbara Pozzo is Professor of Comparative Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Insubria in Como (Italy) since 2001, where she teaches Comparative Legal Systems, Comparative Law and Language and Legal Translation. She is the Director of the Summer School Program in Comparative Environmental Law, in association with UC Davis Law School, and approved by the American Bar Association. Since 2002, Prof. Pozzo is also the Director of the Ph. D. Program in Comparative Law at the University of Milan, where she has also served as the Director of the Master Program in Environmental Law (since 2001 and until 2010).

Prof. Pozzo has been visiting professor at the University of Hamburg, Montpellier, Louisiana State University, Fordham University, University of California at Davis, McGeorge School of Law at Pacific University, William S. Boyd School of Law at Nevada University. She is the Editor of two Series: Le Lingue del Diritto (The Languages of the Law) and Diritto ed Economia dell’Ambiente (Law and Economics of the Environment), both published by Giuffrè- Milan.

Prof. Pozzo has collaborated with various EU Institutions, such as Directorate General on Translation and Directorate General – Clima (Unit Adaptation) of the EU Commission, as well as with the EU Parliament.

EULawSD Module selected for co-funding by EACEA

Posted on by dariopiselli in EULawSD Module

File picture shows European Union flags fluttering outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels
Credit: REUTERS/Francois Lenoir/Files

On 26 July 2017, the Education, Audiovisuals and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) of the European Commission announced the results of its annual call for co-funding of Jean Monnet Activities under the Erasmus+ Programme (Call EAC/A03/2016).

Among the 833 proposals received by the EACEA for Jean Monnet teaching and research activities, 141 were selected for funding. The proposal for a module on “European Union Law and Sustainable Development” (EULawSD), presented by Prof. Riccardo Pavoni of the University of Siena together with Mr. Dario Piselli (Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies), Prof. Sonia Carmignani, Prof. Federico Lenzerini, Prof. Patrizia Vigni and Prof. Alessandro Palmieri (all of the University of Siena), was one of them. The project activities will now be hosted by the Department of Law of the University of Siena and implemented over the course of three years.

EULawSD seeks to explore the ever-expanding corpus of European Union Law relating to sustainable development, with an emphasis on its interactions with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations in September 2015. The module will consist of an annual 40-hour course primarily aimed at students of the Single Cycle Degree Programme in Law at the University of Siena, but also open to students from the Political Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences departments. The course will be complemented, on an annual basis, by a keynote opening lecture, a final expert roundtable, a dedicated website, and a series of webinars.

– For more information, contact us via the dedicated contact form on this website.
– For the full selection results, visit https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus/news/jean-monnet-activities-2017-call-eaca032016-0_en.