OSCAL: New course on nuclear law

The EU has entered a period of Nuclear New Build. Several EU countries are pursuing new nuclear power projects. France plans six (or possibly eight) additional nuclear reactors, while the Czech Republic plans to construct one new reactor. Poland has ambitious plans to begin nuclear energy production and build six large reactors by 2040. The construction of its first nuclear power plant is scheduled to begin in 2026 and is expected to be completed by 2033. At the beginning of 2025, Italy also announced that nuclear energy is to be included in its national energy mix again. This pan-European move towards nuclear energy needs to be understood as part of a much broader global trend towards nuclear new build.

This project aims to address current developments in Europe from the perspective of legal education. It aims to gather four EU+ universities from four states (the Czech Republic, France, Italy, and Poland) that are seriously considering Nuclear New Build as part of their energy strategy. We aim to prepare a new coursebook, which will serve as an educational source for future courses in nuclear law (not only) at the four involved universities.

The proposed research project will result in a new coursebook titled New Course on Nuclear Law. This coursebook aims to provide modern literature for future courses on nuclear law, which may be offered at 4 EU+ universities and beyond. Having said this, OSCAL – New course on nuclear law aims to address the existing gap in literature, as no up-to-date source of literature of this type exists today.

Participating universities and academic leads

Professor Jakub Handrlica

Project lead, Charles University

Jakub.Handrlica@prf.cuni.cz

Jakub Handrlica is a Full Professor at the Law Faculty, Charles University, Czech Republic. In his research, he primarily focuses on energy law, nuclear law, and space law. He is member of the editorial board of the Journal of Energy and Natural Resources Law and participates in the work of the OECD Working Group on Nuclear Law Education. Also, he teaches a course on space administration at the LUISS University in Rome. He is a member of the International Nuclear Law Association and the International Institute of Space Law.

Assistant Professor Alessia Monica

University of Milan

Professor William Gremaud

University Paris-Panthéon-Assas

Associate Professor Maciej Miłosz Sokołowski

University of Warsaw

Full list of team members

Professor Jakub Handrlica (Charles University, Czech Republic)
Professor William Gremaud (University Paris-Panthéon-Assas, France)
Professor Diana-Urania Galetta (University of Milan, Italy)
Associate Professor Maciej Miłosz Sokołowski (University of Warsaw, Poland)
Assistant Professor Alessia Monica (University of Milan, Italy)
Assistant Professor Loriane Alem (University Paris-Panthéon-Assas, France)
Assistant Professor Jonathan Attali (University Paris-Panthéon-Assas, France)
Assistant Professor Vladimír Sharp (Charles University, Czech Republic)
Assistant Professor Lucie Vosečková (Charles University, Czech Republic)
Piotr Mikusek (University of Warsaw, Poland)
Natálie Holubová (Charles University, Czech Republic)
Lucie Vonásková (Charles University, Czech Republic)

What are you most excited to achieve through this collaboration?

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This collaboration is bound to be successful. Firstly, it provides an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between the University of Milan and Charles University. Moreover, sharing ideas and research findings on nuclear strategy will give students the chance to study a topic of great relevance for the future. The planned activities also integrate very well with both the ongoing Jean Monnet module Public Administrations in EU Energy Policies and Communities (PAEPeC) and the research activities of CERIDAP (Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Public Administration).

— Alessia Monica, University of Milan

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Nuclear law constitutes a complex field composed of extensive provisions of both public and private law, deriving from a multilevel structure of sources, including international law, European law, and the domestic legal orders of each Member State of the European Union. Consequently, it is not possible to develop a coherent and systematic conceptualization of nuclear law without a multifaceted research approach. It is precisely the opportunity to draw upon the knowledge of experienced scholars and experts - having diverse research backgrounds and originating from four European countries with varying levels of engagement in the implementation of nuclear energy projects - that represents the most fascinating aspect of the entire collaboration. We believe that the proposed textbook on contemporary nuclear law will constitute the culmination of a demanding research trajectory, one that would be impossible to realize without the experience and perspectives of such a broad and diverse group of scholars. Nevertheless, we anticipate that the outcome of this work will be more than merely a textbook; rather, it will serve as an illustration that nuclear energy is not only a significant infrastructural and economic undertaking, but also an essential component of the EU’s energy transition.

— Associate Professor Maciej Miłosz Sokołowski, University of Warsaw

How do you see your project contributing to the vision of building ‘One Comprehensive Research-Intensive European University’?

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Our project embodies the core vision of a unified European university in several ways. First, it addresses a genuinely European challenge—how nuclear energy contributes, under EU law, to energy solidarity, security of supply and the Union’s decarbonisation objectives—that transcends national boundaries and requires coordinated expertise across member states. Second, we're developing a common educational resource that will be used across multiple 4EU+ universities and beyond, while creating a lasting network of nuclear law experts. Rather than focusing on individual national jurisdictions, we're adopting a principles-based approach that draws on supranational frameworks (IAEA, Euratom), harmonizing legal education and building a shared academic culture within the Alliance. Finally, by connecting nuclear law to contemporary challenges like smart cities, data centers, and AI, we're demonstrating how the 4EU+ Alliance can lead in addressing 21st-century issues through interdisciplinary, cross-border academic collaboration.

— Professor William Gremaud, University Paris-Panthéon-Assas