INDIGO Project Annual Conference

On September 29-30 at the University of Freiburg took place the INDIGO Project third big come-together – the second hybrid type internal annual Conference.

The main purpose of the two-days Conference was to intensively discuss the draft papers in order to realise the peer-review and to provide in-depth feedback for the authors. In order to achieve this aim effectively, all of the draft papers and reports were spread between the participants in advance.

On the first day, the participants presented the draft papers intended as chapters for the final INDIGO Project book. Each draft paper presentation was followed by a commentary provided by the commentator. Afterwards followed feedback from the other participants and broader discussions on the draft paper.

The first panel presented on general framework aspects such as Accountability of Cyber-Delegation in European Union Public Law (Prof. Herwig Hofmann) and Algorithms, Automation and Administrative Procedure at EU Level (Prof. Oriol Mir et al).

The following panels (panel 2 – 4) were composed of the presentations of the draft papers build on previous INDIGO work, included on case studies in the various selected EU policy fields impacted by the automated decision making and automatization: EU Border Control, Regulations by Information & RegTech, Political Advertising, Digital Health Infrastructure, Digital Services and AI Systems in the Single EU Market.

Considering the latest EU legislative developments (AI Act proposal, DSA, DMA, GDPR, etc.), the second day was dedicated for the comparative insights in the national developments of the EU Member States. Of interest were national legislative activities, judiciary practice (case law) and soft law concerning automation in the administrative procedures concerning AI/sophisticated algorithms in public decision making.

First professor Paul Craig presented Model Rules on Impact Assessment of Algorithmic Decision-Making Systems Used by Public Administration.

It was followed by the national reports of Italian (Prof. Diana-Urania Galetta), Spanish (Prof. Eduardo Gamero), Austrian (Prof. Franz Merli), Estonian (Prof. Ivo Pilving) and Swedish (Prof. Jane Reichel) perspectives concerning automation in administrative procedures concerning AI/sophisticated algorithms in public decision making. The presentations of the reports were followed by discussions facilitating the mapping of the tendencies of national legislative, judiciary and soft law responses to the automatization, digitalization and the (semi)automated decision making or AI/sophisticated algorithm use by public administration.

We thank to all the participants for the fruitful and exciting exchange!

Programme

Thursday, 29 September 2022

09.00 – 09.15
Welcome and introduction
- Prof. Jens-Peter Schneider, University of Freiburg (Host & PI)
- Prof. Herwig Hofmann, University of Luxembourg (Project Leader)
09.15 – 11.00

Panel 1 (hybrid)

Chair: Prof. Jens-Peter Schneider, University of Freiburg

Automated decision making in public law

Prof. Herwig Hofmann, University of Luxembourg

Comments by Prof. Deirdre Curtin, European University Institute, Florence

Discussion

Algorithms, automation and administrative procedure at EU level

Prof. Oriol Mir Puigpelat (et al.), Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona

Comments by Prof. Sofia Ranchordás, University of Groningen

Discussion
11.30 – 13.00

Panel 2 (hybrid)

Chair: Prof. Herwig Hofmann, University of Luxembourg

Automated decision-making in the EU Border Control Context

Prof. Franziska Boehm (et al.), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Comments by Dr. Niovi Vavoula, Queen Mary University of London

Discussion

The Changing Nature of ‘Regulation by Information’ and the Rise of Regulatory Technologies

Prof. Dirk Zetzsche, Dr. Felix Pflücke (et al.), University of Luxembourg

Comments by Dr. Jannik Woxholth, University of Luxembourg

Discussion
13.00 – 14.30

Lunch break
14.30 – 15.30

Panel 3

Chair: Prof. Franziska Boehm, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Influencing Decision-Making by Targeting Political Advertising

Prof. Päivi Leino-Sandberg (et al.), University of Helsinki

Comments by Dr. Judith Möller, University of Amsterdam

Discussion
16.00 – 17.45

Panel 4 (hybrid)

Chair: Prof. Oriol Mir Puigpelat, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona

A Digital Health Infrastructure for cross-border Governance of communicable diseases

Franka Enderlein, University of Freiburg

Comments by Dirk Meusel, Unit Health Security, DG for Health and Food Safety, European Commission

Discussion

The new regulatory framework for Digital Services and AI systems in the EU Single Market

Prof. Jens-Peter Schneider (et al.), University of Freiburg

Comments by Prof. Joris van Hoboken, University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Discussion

Friday, 30 September 2022

09.45 – 10.45

Panel 6: The Effect of Automated Decision Making Systems on Basic Principles in EU Public Law: A Comparative Perspective – I

Chair: Prof. Herwig Hofmann, University of Luxembourg

Automated Decision Making Systems in national Administrative Law

Prof. Diana-Urania Galetta, University of Milan – An Italian Perspective

Prof. Eduardo Gamero Casado, Pablo de Olavide University, Sevilla – A Spanish Perspective

Discussion
11.15 – 12.30

Panel 7: The Effect of Automated Decision Making Systems on Basic Principles in EU Public Law: A Comparative Perspective – II

Chair: Prof. Jacques Ziller, University of Pavia

Automated Decision Making Systems in national Administrative Law

Prof. Franz Merli, University of Vienna – An Austrian Perspective

Prof. Ivo Pilving, University of Tartu/Supreme Court of Estonia – An Estonian Perspective

Prof. Jane Reichel, University of Stockholm – A Swedish Perspective

Discussion
13.30 – 12.50
Closing remarks
- Prof. Herwig Hofmann, University of Luxembourg
- Prof. Jens-Peter Schneider, University of Freiburg