Description
Air transport, space missions and telecommunications are modern areas of human activity, which significantly promote and facilitate communication among people and decisively contribute to global development. These three domains are in close interaction among them: air and space activities – with respect to traffic management, in particular - heavily rely on radiocommunications – whereas space objects (e.g. satellites in orbit) are frequently used as optimal telecommunication hubs (radio and tv broadcasting). This course seeks to familiarize students with the essentials of international air, space and telecommunications law and to highlight the legal dimensions of the aforementioned interaction among these domains.
Objectives
The course aims to provide an in-depth approach to international air, space and telecommunications law and highlight, as well as analyze, the challenges that arise for international law by the interaction of these areas of activity. After successful completion, students are expected to understand:
- the inherent differences in approach among air, space and telecommunications law, as well as the elements of convergence of these disciplines; the main challenges and the legal responses;
- the essentials of the corresponding legal regimes;
- the role of international institutions in shaping international regulation and policy in air, space and telecommunications activities;
- how international regulations contribute to problem-solving in these areas.
Contents
Air Law: Legal regime of national and international airspace; Organization of airspace: the role of the International Civil Aviation (ICAO), of EUROCONTROL and of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA); Single European Sky and Flexible Use of Airspace; Search and rescue of aircraft in distress through satellite guidance; The Global Navigation Satellite System, in particular Galileo.
Space Law: The five space treaties and the fundamental principles of space law; The role of the UNCOPUOS; State responsibility and liability for damage caused in outer space; Environmental protection from space activities: the problem of space debris; Military activities in outer space; The emergence of “NewSpace” activities and the challenges for international law.
Telecommunications Law: The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the management of the radio - frequency spectrum; General principles of International Telecommunications Law; The importance of telecommunications for Air and Space Traffic Management; Satellite communications, international trade and intellectual property issues; Television broadcasting by satellite.
Academic Requirements
Students are expected to have in-depth knowledge of public international law.
Teaching method
Interactive, discussion-based lectures, with student participation. Course files will be distributed prior to classes.
Lecturer
Assistant Professor George D. Kyriakopoulos
Assessment and testing
· Final written exam, essay questions - 2 hours (80%)
· Alternatively: Individual dissertation - 7.000-9.000 words (80%).
· Class participation (20%).