Essay Competition 2012: The Winner

Mr. Hannes Fischer is the winner of this year’s essay competition on space law and European Space Policy held by BHO Legal and the Institute of Air and Space Law of the University of Cologne. Students worldwide were requested to submit their essay on the topic “The Development of the European Space Policy and perspectives after the Lisbon Treaty”. Mr. Fischer studies law in the sixth semester at the renown University of Heidelberg, Germany, and is currently preparing for the first state exam in law.

The competition was held for the second time. It aims at supporting students’ academic education in space law and policy issues on the European level and thereby at increasing their competence of working in the complex and policy-driven environment of space industry.

Following evaluation the contribution of Hannes Fischer was found to provide a comprehensive and well structured overview on the developments of space law and policy in Europe in recent years and an outlook on developments to be expected in the future. The evaluation committee made up of Prof. Dr. Stefan Hobe, (Institute), Dr. Oliver Heinrich and Dr. Ingo Baumann (both BHO Legal), thus decided that Mr. Fischer’s contribution fully deserved to be chosen as winner of the competition.

As prize Mr. Fischer received the recently published Cologne Commentary on Space Law (Vol. 1), a certificate as winner of the competition and a 500,- € cash prize to support his future academic studies.