EU Law School

Castellabate EU Law School 2026

European Union law, fundamental rights and new technologies

Conference Overview

DATE and Venue

2–4 October 2026
Villa Matarazzo, Santa Maria di Castellabate (SA)

Brief Overview

The Castellabate EU Law School “Andrea Cafiero” is an advanced training event dedicated to European Union law, bringing together lawyers, academics, judges and institutional representatives. The 2026 edition, scheduled for 2–4 October at Villa Matarazzo in Santa Maria di Castellabate, offers an in-depth exploration of the major transformations shaping the European legal order: from the protection of fundamental rights to environmental and financial sustainability, through to the challenges of digitalisation and artificial intelligence. The initiative continues the training programme established in memory of Andrea Cafiero, a criminal lawyer and member of the Naples Bar Council, and marks the direct involvement of the newly established Andrea Cafiero Association APS – ETS, founded on 18 June 2026. The school promotes dialogue between legal education, research and professional practice, with particular attention to the development of young legal professionals and the building of connections with European institutions and professional communities. The programme included academic sessions, a lecture in memory of Giuseppe Tesauro and a session for young researchers featuring presentations of contributions selected through a Call for Papers.

Conference Scope

The Castellabate EU Law School addresses key developments in European law through an interdisciplinary approach, linking the protection of rights to economic, environmental and technological transformations. The first area concerns the role of European lawyers, the skills required to practise internationally and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. The programme includes the participation of Raffaele Sabato, a judge at the European Court of Human Rights, to discuss these topics. The second area focuses on European environmental law, financial markets and corporate sustainability, with attention to ESG criteria and the relationship between regulation, economic development and the protection of natural resources. Scheduled speakers include Ugo Bassi, a director at the European Commission’s DG FISMA. The session on privacy, digitalisation and artificial intelligence explores the legal implications of new technologies and includes the presentation of the Commentary on Law No. 132 of 23 September 2025 on artificial intelligence. The programme is complemented by the “Giuseppe Tesauro Memorial Lecture”, chaired by Roberto Adam and dedicated to Europe’s values and the constitutional dimension of European integration.

Organisers

Academic coordination is led by Professor and lawyer Gian Michele Roberti and lawyer Francesco Avolio, with organisational involvement from the Andrea Cafiero Association APS – ETS. The initiative is held under the patronage of the Italian National Bar Council and the Bar Councils of Naples, Salerno and Vallo della Lucania. The Association promotes cooperation between legal professionals and European institutions, a culture of legality and human rights, training for young professionals and the dissemination of interdisciplinary research.

“Andrea Cafiero” Award

The school’s programme included the announcement of the new call for applications for the “Andrea Cafiero” Award, designed to support the education and professional experience of young legal professionals in a European context. The new call extends eligibility to final-year university students alongside young professionals. The award consists of a €3,000 scholarship to fund a six-month professional internship at international law firms in Brussels. The initiative aims to provide practical exposure to European law and help young people enter the international legal profession.

Contribution to the EU Law School

My contribution involved participating in the presentation of the thematic tracks of the Call for Papers for the 2027 edition of the Castellabate EU Law School “Andrea Cafiero”, designed to build on the school’s academic work and multidisciplinary discussions. The call explores transformations in European law, encompassing the evolution of the legal profession, the protection of fundamental rights and the constitutional dimension of European integration, alongside the challenges of environmental sustainability and market and business regulation. It also addresses data protection, digitalisation and artificial intelligence, with attention to liability and the protection of rights in the digital ecosystem. The initiative invites the academic and professional communities to submit original research. Selected contributions that successfully complete peer review will be published in the official volume of the 2027 Conference Proceedings.

Learning Objective

Deepening the understanding of European law through interdisciplinary dialogue on fundamental rights, sustainability, markets, digitalisation and artificial intelligence in professional practice

My learning objective was to deepen my understanding of the transformations in European law through dialogue with academics, professionals and institutional representatives. Participation in the EU Law School connects the protection of fundamental rights with the challenges of sustainability, market regulation and artificial intelligence. By presenting the tracks of the 2027 Call for Papers, I aim to help shape interdisciplinary research directions, encouraging dialogue between legal and technological expertise. The goal is to develop analytical tools useful for research and professional practice, fostering academic collaboration and an understanding of the responsibilities associated with innovation in the contemporary European legal context.