Course content.
After delimiting the biotechnology law’s notion, now extended to different scientific and human knowledge fields, the course aims to focus on the authorization system and the use of biotechnology in agriculture and the food chain, following a method based on the comparison between national, European and international legal sources with consistent attention to the role of jurisprudence
For a first approach, S. RODOTÀ, La vita e le regole. Tra diritto e non diritto, Milan, Feltrinelli.
Teaching materials will be distributed during the lessons and uploaded on the moodle platform
Learning Objectives
The course aims to teach a critical legal approach to the application of biotechnology, evaluating how the legislator’s choices concern the environmental, economic, socio-cultural, and ethical aspects that affect both the individual and the society in a complex balance between opposing and simultaneous interests.
In order to achieve this, it will be required for the students to develop the following skills:
- appropriation of a fundamental legal language;
- independent critical consultation of the legal sources;
- ability to find and use bibliographic resources.
Prerequisites
No prerequisite is requested
Teaching Methods
The course consists of frontal lessons, seminars, exercises, interactive activities on the discussed cases.
Type of Assessment
Oral exams are scheduled on the dates of the official sessions.
Course program
The course is structured into four modules, closely related to each other.
Module I - Introduction.
• Biotechnology law. Extension of the notion.
• The national, European, and international legal sources.
• The European Union
Module II - Authorizing systems
• Deliberate release of GMOs into the environment
• Placing on the market of GMOs
III module - Biotechnology and agriculture
• Use of GMOs and their patentability
• Coexistence and the risk of contamination
Module IV - Biotechnology and food
• Authorization for the marketing of genetically modified foods
• Labeling
• Negative claims