Sebastiano Gianino has received the Francesco Berlingieri Essay Prize 2025
The article explores the legal challenges posed by Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) within international, EU, and national legal frameworks, in particular focusing on the Danish and Italian context. It analyzes the compatibility of key conventions such as SOLAS, COLREGs, UNCLOS, and LLMC with autonomous vessels, while also examining the IMO’s interim guidelines and Regulatory Scoping Exercise to highlight existing gaps. At the EU level, it assesses initiatives like the AI Act and the Product Liability Directive, focusing on liability and harmonization with international law. A comparative study of Denmark and Italy reveals Denmark’s proactive regulatory adaptation versus Italy’s more traditional approach. The study concludes that coherent, multi-level reforms and stronger international cooperation are urgently needed to align legal systems with technological advancements in maritime autonomy."
The article has been awarded the Francesco Berlingieri Prize and will be published in the journal "IL DIRITTO MARITTIMO". This is the oldest maritime law journal in the world, founded in 1899. The journal has long been a central forum for scholarly debate and the progressive development of maritime law, closely connected to the work of the Comité Maritime International (CMI), which is the oldest international organisation dedicated to the unification and progressive development of maritime law, working closely with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the national maritime law associations worldwide.