WHALE – Working on non-Human Animal Law and rights in the EU, the Jean Monnet module at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice co-funded by the European Union and delivered in collaboration with Animal Law Italia, returns in 2026.
This is the third edition of a training programme that is unique in the Italian and European academic landscape, dedicated to the study of the rights of non-human animals and of public policies on animal protection at national, comparative and European Union level.
The course will run in the spring semester of 2026 and includes thematic lectures, seminars and hands-on workshops, with the involvement of university lecturers, legal scholars, researchers and experts in the field. The aim is to provide practical tools for understanding and rethinking traditional legal categories in light of the scientific, ethical and social developments concerning the relationship between humans and animals.
Who the course is for
The course is aimed at students, researchers and doctoral candidates, as well as legal professionals and practitioners in the field interested in exploring the protection of non-human animals in greater depth.
For students enrolled at Ca’ Foscari, the course awards 12 CFU as a free-choice or supernumerary module.
The course follows a blended format: classes are held in person in Venice, with the option of remote participation for certain categories of participants or in specific cases.
Programme and methodology
The programme covers, among others, the following areas:
- international and European Union law on animal welfare
- constitutional, administrative, criminal and civil law as applied to non-human animals
- ethical, philosophical and interdisciplinary perspectives
- analysis of case law and public policies
- legal redrafting workshops
A distinctive feature of the course is the active involvement of participants through workshops and practical activities, designed to turn theoretical reflection into concrete tools for analysis, advocacy and legislative innovation.
How to enrol
All official information on the programme, requirements and how to take part is available on the Ca’ Foscari website. For information and enrolment, please write to whale.jm@unive.it.
A handbook available to everyone
Further strengthening the WHALE module’s training programme, 2025 saw the publication of the handbook Lineamenti di diritto e diritti degli animali non umani, published by Edizioni Ca’ Foscari in open access. The volume grew directly out of the Jean Monnet project and brings together interdisciplinary contributions from legal scholars, philosophers and social scientists, offering an up-to-date and critical reading of the main legal challenges relating to the protection of non-human animals, including in light of the most recent legislative reforms.
It is not a “neutral” or purely descriptive text: it is a tool for anyone who wants to understand how the law can (and must) evolve, moving beyond anthropocentrism and recognising animals as holders of an increasingly concrete legal subjectivity.
Designed for students, for lawyers and the judiciary, for activists and for those who work with animals or hold educational roles (veterinary staff, volunteer animal welfare officers, teachers and lecturers), the book offers critical and interdisciplinary tools for a form of legal protection that recognises animals as subjects with rights.
A project supported by the European Union
WHALE was established as a Jean Monnet Module (2023-2026), an initiative co-funded by the European Union with the aim of supporting teaching excellence in the field of European integration studies. The collaboration with Animal Law Italia helps connect academic training with the research, public outreach and advocacy work carried out on the ground.
Alessandro Ricciuti, President of Animal Law Italia, comments:
“We are deeply grateful to Professor Sara De Vido for involving Animal Law Italia in this project from its very inception. It is an honour for us to contribute to the growth of a training programme that is bringing the law of non-human animals to the centre of academic and professional debate. We hope this experience can continue and develop further in the years to come, because education is a fundamental tool for building more effective protection for all sentient beings.”
This third edition offers a fresh opportunity to train legal scholars and professionals who are aware of the transformations under way: from the recognition of animal sentience to the decisive role of the European Union in developing ever more advanced protection policies. Taking part in WHALE means joining a community of study and practice committed to promoting respect for and the protection of non-human animals in contemporary law.