The LUMEN Project at the 25th Anniversary Conference of DPCE Journal

On November 21-22, 2024, the 25th-anniversary conference of the journal Diritto Pubblico Comparato ed Europeo (DPCE) will be held at the Fulvio Zuelli Conference Hall, Faculty of Law, in Trento. Titled "Comparative Public Law in a Changing World," the event will bring together experts to discuss recent developments and future challenges in the field.

Among the speakers, Silvia Zanini, a reserach fellow at the University of Trieste and member of the LUMEN project, will present her selected paper, "The Challenges of Animal Protection between Scientific Innovation and Contemporary Law." Zanini's work, developed within the activities of the LUMEN project, explores the intersection between scientific advances and animal protection regulations.

The conference will provide an opportunity to reflect on changes in comparative public law over the past 25 years and on future challenges, with contributions from experts across Italy and sessions focusing on new perspectives in the discipline, particularly regarding the implications of technological progress.

For more information, please download the attached program or visit https://webmagazine.unitn.it/evento/giurisprudenza/121351/il-diritto-pubblico-comparato-in-un-mondo-che-cambia.

Zanini, Silvia (2024), The Challenges of Animal Protection between Scientific Innovation and Contemporary Law - Abstract:

Technological innovation and recent scientific discoveries are profoundly transforming the legal relationship between humans and non-human animals, presenting new challenges for the law. This contribution analyzes how the use of advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence and IoT systems, contributes to creating new paradigms for animal protection. These tools not only improve the living conditions of animals but also provide a scientific basis for an increasing legal recognition of their interests. However, European and national regulations do not always align with scientific evidence, often revealing a significant gap between science and law.

For instance, while countries like the Netherlands opt for an adaptive regulatory approach by integrating science into the legislative process and developing flexible, adaptive laws that quickly respond to emerging evidence (the adoption of "by-design" regulations and para-judicial tools are examples), more traditional legal systems, such as those in Poland and Italy, tend to be more static and less up-to-date. This situation not only stimulates reflection on contemporary constitutionalism—highlighting technology as a tool for innovation and a guarantee for emerging issues—but also requires a rethinking of the relationship between law and science in terms of crucial and necessary integration.