1st Florence Maritime Regulation Conference

The 1^st Florence Maritime Regulation Conference aims to discuss regulatory advancements that accelerate the competitiveness and sustainable development of shipping, ports, and related maritime supply chains in the EU and beyond.

Shipping, ports, and related supply chains are cornerstones of the European economy and world trade, which are shaped by regulatory initiatives developing at national, regional, or global scales.  The European Union is currently developing a comprehensive strategy to support the long-term competitiveness of the maritime sector.  Multiple recent calls for evidence, addressing either exclusively sectoral issues (i.e., Maritime Industrial Strategy, Ports Strategy, the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan, etc) or broader themes affecting maritime transport (i.e., state aid, foreign direct investment, energy security circularity, etc), aim to frame the current and future regulatory framework for European shipping, ports and the broader maritime cluster.

The 1^st Florence Maritime Regulation Conference is a platform where academics, selected industry representatives, and policymakers can engage in an open debate on innovative approaches to maritime-related regulation. The scope of the Conference will be to find practical solutions through rigorous academic dialogue and constructive Debate.

This Conference is part of Transport Week, which includes three academic conferences focusing on maritime, Rail, and Aviation regulation, as well as the Summer School on Transport Regulation, a forum for discussion on transport regulation.

The Conference organisers are seeking original papers on topics ranging from regulatory challenges to sustainable transport. Contributions that employ multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to regulation, and that combine academic and practical perspectives, are highly encouraged. The Conference is intended for academics, academically minded practitioners and PhD researchers. The best papers will be eligible for publication in the book series “Challenges in Transport Regulation in Europe and Beyond”, published by Edward Elgar.

The Conference is organised by the Transport Area of the Florence School of Regulation of the European University Institute, in collaboration with the Jean Monnet Chair in European Port Policy, University of Piraeus, and will take place in Florence (Italy).

Conference Structure

The format of the Florence Maritime Regulation Conference will be the following:

• Presentation of Academic Papers (20´/Paper approx.)
• Feedback and Debate around the Papers (20´/Paper approx.)

This is a 1-day conference, aiming to discuss around 10 papers and engage a selected group of 30/40 individuals, including leading academics, high-level stakeholder representatives, and public officials, in a fruitful policy debate.

Timeline

• Submission of the Abstract by 15^th January 2026 using the form. For any issue regarding the submission, please contact Ms Elodie Petrozziello at transport@eui.eu
• Notification of Acceptance by 15^th February 2026;
• Submission of the Full Paper by 15^th of June 2026; participants who fail to submit a full paper by this deadline will be automatically removed from the programme.
• Conference on 17th July2026 in Florence (Italy).

Guidelines for the abstract

• 600-1000 words (abstract);
• Title of the paper & keywords;
• Name of the author(s) and full address of the corresponding author;
• The aim and methodology of the paper, and
• Results obtained or expected

Organising committee

Juan Montero | Director of the Transport Area of the FSR, Professor of Administrative Law and Regulation in UNED University (Madrid)

Thanos Pallis | Senior Scientific Advisor, Transport Area of the FSR; and Professor (Jean Monnet Chair in European Port Policy), Department of Maritime Studies, University of Piraeus, Greece.

Elodie Petrozziello | Research Associate of the Transport Area of the FSR

Fee

Free Attendance, but registration is required.