Phd in PUBLIC LAW

Thesis title: L'amministrazione nell'era dei dati digitali

The thesis aims to answer the following research question: can public administration perform a digital data valorisation function? It reconstructs the legal and regulatory framework governing the various activities that constitute this function: data collection, storage, management (including obligations related to access and reuse), and processing for knowledge and decision-making purposes. The thesis also explores organisational aspects of public administration in the era of digital data, with a focus on data governance. Particular attention is given to comparing regulatory and doctrinal approaches in Portugal, Spain, Germany, and France regarding automated decision-making. The research is conducted between Italy and Portugal — at the University of Coimbra — and is based on doctrinal and jurisprudential sources, as well as direct experience at CONSOB. The legal and comparative approach enables the development of a critical and forward-looking framework for public administration in the digital data era.