EPLO Office in Rome

The Headquarters Agreement between the EPLO and the Italian Republic was signed in Rome on June 23, 2021, and officially ratified and published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana on July 19, 2022. This agreement grants the EPLO all privileges and immunities afforded to international organizations based in Rome.

The EPLO Rome Office supports the Organization’s global mission to promote European values, public law, and democratic governance, contributing scientific input to EPLO projects and proposals worldwide.

The Office is led by Professor Bernardo Giorgio Mattarella of LUISS University Law School, who serves as Director and represents the EPLO in Italy. He is responsible for guiding the Office’s strategic initiatives and fulfilling its institutional objectives.

The Rome Office is supported by a team of dedicated researchers, policy analysts, and a communication officer focused on disseminating local activities. Their work spans legal research, educational programming, collaborative partnerships, and publications.

The EPLO Rome Office regularly organizes conferences, seminars, and public events. Its official inauguration took place on May 22, 2024, at Palazzo Altemps, in the presence of:

• His Excellency Mr. Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic
• Her Excellency Ms. Katerina N. Sakellaropoulou, President of the Hellenic Republic
• His Excellency Mr. Rumen Radev, President of the Republic of Bulgaria
• His Excellency Mr. Jorge Carlos Fonseca, former President of Cabo Verde
• His Eminence Policarpo, Metropolitan of Italy and Exarch of Southern Europe

The event was attended by numerous ambassadors, ministers, academics, and jurists, and chaired by Professor Daria de Pretis, former Vice-President of the Italian Constitutional Court.

The EPLO Rome Office is also the headquarters of the EPLO's international university, the European Law and Governance School (ELGS), which offers degree programs on campuses in Rome, Venice,  Athens, Cascais, Tbilisi and Brčko. These programs focus on European Law and Global Governance, and are delivered in collaboration with leading universities and institutions across EPLO’s global network. For details, visit the ELGS website.

The Office also dedicates a substantial part of its scientific initiatives to the study of public powers and culture, reflecting its unique location within a museum setting.

The EPLO implements a wide range of technical cooperation projects aimed at strengthening institutions and promoting the rule of law, human rights, democratization, and sustainable development. These include:

• Legal advice to national authorities
• Training for judges and civil servants
• Capacity-building for civil society and NGOs
• Public awareness initiatives
• Legislative alignment with the EU acquis

One notable project is the Support to the Institute of Public Administration of Jordan, conducted in partnership with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation. This initiative enhances the IPA’s training capacity and supports Jordan’s Public Sector Modernization Roadmap.

The EPLO Rome Office contributes to EPLO’s rich publication activity, including:

• The Justinian Project, under the presidency of Professor Sabino Cassese, which translates landmark works of European public law into English for a global audience
• The European Journal of History and Culture (EJHC), a semestrial publication exploring the history and cultural dialogue of the Eastern Mediterranean and Greco-Roman civilizations

For more, visit EPLO Publications.

The Institute for Global Health Emergencies Response (IGHER) is based in Rome and operates in close coordination with the EPLO Rome Office.