Ivo Appel

Prof. Dr. Ivo Appel is a Professor of Public Law, Environmental Law, and Legal Philosophy at the Faculty of Law, University of Hamburg. He serves as the acting director of the Research Center for Environmental Law (FORUM) since 2012 and has previously held leadership roles at the Chair of Public Law, Environmental Law, and Legal Philosophy. His career spans academic and administrative roles, including appointments at the University of Augsburg (2003–2011) and the University of Freiburg.

• Education: Studied Law and Philosophy at Erlangen, Lausanne, and Freiburg i.Br. (1982–1987), completed his first and second state exams, and habilitated in 2001 at Freiburg.

Research Focus: His work bridges German, European, and International Environmental Law, with expertise in Planning Law, Bio- and Genetic Engineering Law, Administrative Law reform, Constitutional Law, and legal theories of sustainability and risk regulation. He explores the steering and ordering functions of law, norm-setting, and justice theories.

Publications: Authored monographs on topics like state foresight (2005), financial crisis and expropriation law (2009), and risk regulation strategies (2014). His recent articles emphasize planning law under EU influence, privatized administrative procedures, and sustainability integration across legal systems.

Scientific Awards:

• Georg F. Rössler Foundation Prize (1997) for his dissertation at Freiburg.

Labs & Teams: Leads the Research Center for Environmental Law (FORUM) at Hamburg, collaborating with scholars like Wolfgang Hoffmann-Riem and Ulrich Ramsauer. He contributes to editorial boards of legal series on bioethics, environmental law, and global economic regulation.