About the Project

The objective of PROTECH is to stimulate teaching, research and debating activities in this crucial area of European Law in order to lay out the foundations for a lively multi-disciplinary and protective system responding to the challenges of today’s society and economy. In this way, it will raise awareness towards the protection of the “vulnerable” subjects both at national and European level.

This goal will be achieved through the Jean Monnet Chair on European Protection Law of Individuals in Relation to New Technologies with focus on the field of legal integration and harmonization in the protection of the vulnerable subjects. The teaching course aims to contribute to the knowledge base which is essential for the construction of a culture of protection, for economic and social growth, solidarity and sustainable development within the Digital Single Market.

THE PROJECT

Learning Outcomes

  1. Develop the knowledge of the protective approach in European law in the regulation of the relationship between individuals and technologies, considering that contact and the relationship with technologies could put human beings in a vulnerable position even if they do not have specific disabilities. “Vulnerable subjects” means all persons acting in a technological environment where they are more exposed to the risk of damage as they are in a “vulnerable” position for various reasons (minor/old age, asymmetry of contractual power or information). This category includes human embryos: they are a crucial example of exposure to risk of damages because they do not act but they are ab origine created in a technological environment;
  2. strengthen problem solving skills on issues of the same topics, with particular regard to the correctness of legal argumentation;
    introduce students to the study of de iure condendo perspectives and advanced methods of regulatory analysis (eg: AIR);
  3. introduce students in scientific non-legal disciplinary sectors (IT, neuroscience, behavioral sciences, Human machine interface, design, ethics). At the end of the course, the student will have acquired the following skills:
  4. knowledge and understanding of the impact that new technologies have had on legal arrangement and on the legal categories of private law in the patrimonial and non-patrimonial area;
  5. ability to find materials, even non-legal, for the solution of complex problems that involve subjects and cognitive areas that are not only legal;
    understanding and use of the legal language for the drafting of a scientific paper (eg: essay)

Expected results

The expected results of the course are the following:

Human rights

Understand the values of human dignity, equality, respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities;

Legal integration

Deepen the legal integration and harmonization in the protection of the vulnerable subjects;

Society and economy

Lay out the foundations for a lively multi-disciplinary and protective system responding to the challenges of today’s society and economy.

Protection

Increase the awareness towards the protection of the “vulnerable” subjects both at national and European level.

ABOUT

Course Contents

The Chair PROTECH aims to deepen the level of knowledge and mastery of e European Protection Law of Individuals with a specific focus on:

  1. Data subjects in digital habitats, with particular regard to Minors and Elderly Persons;
  2. Consumers in digital habitats, with particular regard to Minors and Elderly Persons;
  3. Embryos, unborn children, new forms of life created in laboratory.

The chair consist in three-year teaching course on “European Protection Law” that will be a compulsory course for Law students and an optional course for other students (Psychology, Science of Primary Education, Business Administration and Green Economy, and Foreign Languages and Literatures, LL.M. and Ph.D. candidates), concerning the analysis of European Protection Law with reference to the protection of humans. The course will be structured in 3 Modules per year of which the third one varies each year, being focused on specific topics.

For the academic year 2019 – 2020, the course will focuses on the “Protection of Data Subjects with regard to Minors and Elderly in digital environments” and consists of n. 3 modules which also include the participation of the Module Leader and the Teaching Staff Members:

I Module: Technologies, Individuals and Risks

  • Digital environments and Digital Single Markets
  • Data and Transactions in digital environments
  • Minors, Elderly Persons, Consumers and Embryos: technological development and fundamental right perspective

II Module: European law as a system of rules for the protection of persons

  • Minors, Elderly Person: Laws in the EU and reform drafts
  • Consumers: EU Law about E-commerce and ODR
  • Embryos: EU Member States’ legislations about embryos

III Module: EU Protection of Data Subjects with regard to Minors and Elderly in digital environments

  • Internet and Minors
  • Cyberbullies
  • Video-games
  • Regulating Online Child Safety

For the academic year 2020-2021, the course will focuses on the “Protection of Consumers in the Digital Single Market” and consists of n. 3 modules which also include the participation of the Module Leader and the Teaching Staff Members:

I Module: Technologies, Individuals and Risks

  • Digital environments and Digital Single Markets
  • Data and Transactions in digital environments
  • Minors, Elderly Persons, Consumers and Embryos: technological development and fundamental right perspective

II Module: The Law of Individuals

  • Minors, Elderly Person: Laws in the EU and reform drafts
  • Consumers: EU Law about E-commerce and ODR
  • Embryos: EU Member States’ legislations about embryos

III Module: Protection of Consumers in the Digital Single Market

  • Digital Economy: sharing economy and platforms
  • Data Profiling and consumers’ choice
  • Effective enforcement in a digital ecosystem: the case of banking contracts.

For the academic year 2020-2021, the course will focuses on “The Rights of Embryos, unborn children and new forms of life created with new Technologies” and consists of n. 3 modules which also include the participation of the Module Leader and the Teaching Staff Members:

I Module: Technologies, Individuals and Risks

  • Digital environments and Digital Single Markets
  • Data and Transactions in digital environments
  • Minors, Elderly Persons, Consumers and Embryos: technological development and fundamental right perspective

II Module: The Law of Vulnerable Individuals

  • Minors, Elderly Person: Laws in the EU and reform drafts
  • Consumers: EU Law about E-commerce and ODR
  • Embryos: EU Member States’ legislations about embryos

III Module: The Rights of Embryons, unborn children and new forms of life created with new Technologies

  • Artificial Reproduction Technologies and the case of gene editing
  • A fundamental right perspective for the protection of life
  • Ethical Issues and Economic Interests

EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

Seminars and Workshops

The following are added to the modules:

  • Tutorials and exercises on the analysis of European integration in the field of law and protection policies;
  • Seminars on: a.y. 2019-2020 “Advanced studies on Minors and Privacy”; a.y. 2020-2012 “Advanced studies on Consumer Behavior and Consumer Law”; a.y. 2021-2022 “Advanced studies on the legal aspects of medically assisted procreation intersection between Ethics and Science”.
  • Workshops on: a.y. 2019-2020 ” Social Networks and Multimedia habitats”; a.y. 2020-2021 “Legal Design for Transparency in Consumer Contracts”; a.y. 2021-2022 “National Cases on Human Embryos and the EU Court of Justice”.

For seminars and workshops, a strong involvement of scholars at national and international level is foreseen. In particular, young scholars and researchers, who will respond to a specific call for papers, will be invited to present and discuss their research work. Furthermore, Ph.D. students will be involved as discussants. The seminars and workshops are also open to policy-makers at national and European level, in order to sensitize civil society throughout the European Union.