Progetto

Brief description

The present research will be carried out by four Research Units based at the Universities of Genoa, Milano-Bicocca, Macerata and Messina. The project will investigate present and future legal strategies for ensuring the sustainable management of marine resources. Premised on the innovative concept of Sustainable Blue Economy recently developed within the EU, which mandates consideration of both economic and environmental aspects, the research team will focus on the seas around Italy. Three research units (RUs) will delve in depth into the regulation, at the international, European, and national level, of key resources for Italy:

(1) marine living resources (Milano Bicocca);

(2) marine mineral resources (Macerata);

(3) renewable energies (Genova).

Based on the preliminary overview of the relevant state of the art, each RU will conduct a critical analysis of the existing normative framework and will develop proposals, both de lege lata and de lege ferenda for enhancing the normative framework that applies to each type of resource. The RUs will, in particular, identify the actions that should be taken both at the legislative and administrative level. The fourth RU (Messina) will complement the research working through a cross-sectorial perspective, analysing the interactions among the three focus area with a view to identifying the governance and management strategies best suitable to sustainably balance the (often conflicting) interests involved. The main objective of the research will be to identify legal strategies of actions and interactions with regard to the main areas entrusted to each RU, thus 1) highlighting the gaps and the limits of the present legal context (with regard both to the drafting of the relevant legislation and to its application by the competent actors) and 2) suggesting legal solutions aimed at addressing such shortcomings, with a view to achieving a sustainable blue economy which is actually respectful of the core values of sustainable development, from an economic, social and environmental perspective. The project will produce an edited volume, a conference involving scholars and stakeholders, a white paper, and dedicated workshops.

Keywords: Law of the sea; Blue economy; Sustainability; Marine living resources; Marine mineral resources; Renewable resources.