On 13 March 2009, a meeting will be held at the EUI in Florence to review examples of national legislation applicable to private military and security companies (PMSCs) in EU Member States and some third countries, as well as the first judicial cases addressing acts of PMSC personnel. Based on a series of reports prepared by the participating universities in the Priv-War project, academic experts, representatives of ministries of Foreign Affairs or Defence, and of one national branch of the Red Cross, the workshop aims to identify common features, positive aspects and major gaps in the different regulatory regimes in some twenty states. It is meant to lay the groundwork for a continued reflection on the minimum requirements for national regulation of PMSCs, their activities and their recruitment by governments to carry out tasks, including in (post)-conflict situations abroad, and on the desirability and ways of harmonization at the EU level. This discussion will be pursued at the next workshop, to be organised by the University of Sheffield on 28 and 29 May 2009.

Two new national reports have been posted: the report on the United Kingdom by K. Alexander and N. White from the University of Sheffield, and the report on Italy by A. Atteritano, LUISS University, Rome.