The NPOC Austria aims at the promotion and development of space law in Austria. However, space activities usually have to be regarded not only under legal aspects but also under technical and political aspects. Thus, if and as far as appropriate the NPOC pursues an interdisciplinary approach.

The NPOC Austria is financially supported by the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology. In the past years, a number of "Subpoints of Contacts" have been established at Austrian universities, namely in Graz, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, at the University of Business Administration in Vienna and at the University of Krems.

• History
• People
• Subpoints of Contact
• Projects

History of NPOC

With the establishment of a National Point of Contact in Austria the EUROPEAN CENTRE FOR SPACE LAW has filled another "black spot" on the European map with colour and life. For many years Austria showed a great commitment to contribute to the space sector, both through high technology companies and the traditionally strong involvement in the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. But despite this variety within the "Austrian space sector" one field never managed to "step into light" - SPACE LAW. This seemed to be somehow strange, as especially in the field of space law Austrian representatives have been playing important roles for the last decades.

So it was just a question of time that - after a preparation period of nearly one year - it was possible to establish the ECSL National Point of Contact Austria at the University of Graz under the academic leadership of Univ.Prof.Dr. Christian BRÜNNER.

The organisational frame of the NPOC Austria was founded in 2001 as a project funded and supervised by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology, Vienna. As a project being operated at the University of Graz the NPOC Austria is not incoporated and has no formal organization. Until now six sub points at the University of Vienna, Linz, Salzburg and Innsbruck, the Danube University of Krems and the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration have been established. Presently fourteen Austrians are members of the European Centre for Space Law.

The NPOC Austria has two main targets. First to encourage students - especially law students but also students at the Technical Universities which offer space related teaching units - to study space law and to take part in different space and space law related events. The second main target is to pomote space law issues in the media and the public. Although our geographical orientation is mainly Austria we understand ourselves also as a bridge toward the new EU member states respectively towards Eastern and South Eastern Countries. Even if research is not in the foreground the number of students who write diploma and doctoral thesis is growing.

Since the official birthday of the NPOC Austria in April 2001 many events have taken place and many tasks have been fulfilled. One of the highlights was the organizing and carrying out of the "13th ECSL Summer Course on Space Law and Policy" at the University of Graz in 2004.

A lot of Sub Points of Contacts have been established in the last years (NPOC -> Sub Points of Contact)

In 2009 the NPOC was formally transferred to Vienna. Prof. Marboe took over the position as head of NPOC from Prof. Brünner.

People

A.o. Univ. Prof. Dr. Irmgard Marboe Project Manager This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Irmgard Marboe is Associate Professor of International Law at the Department of European, International and Comparative Law at the Law Faculty of the University of Vienna since 1 October 2007. After her doctorate in European Community Law (1994) she focused on international law and more particularly on international investment law. Her post-doctoral thesis ("habilitation", 2007) dealt with the concepts of compensation and damages under international law in the practice of international courts and tribunals. Her publications in the area of space law include articles on telecommunication and space, national space legislation, European Space policy and authorisation of space activities. In 2008, she was elected to be the chairperson of the Working Group on “National Space Legislation” of the Legal Subcommittee of UNCOPUOS from 2009 to 2011. Prof. Marboe is a member of the International Institute of Space Law, the European Society of International Law, the German Society of International Law, the Austrian Society of European Law, and corresponding member of the board of trustees of the European Forum Alpbach (Austria). Her current teaching activities include courses and seminars on general international law, international economic law, international courts and tribunals, and space law.

Mag. Karin Traunmüller  Research Assistant This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Mag. Melanie Fink Project Assistant This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Mag. Anna-Maria Kanduth  Project Assistant This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Subpoints of Contact