European Union Law

Course Description

Description
This course provides essential knowledge on the Law of the European Union as a supranational legal system, focusing mainly on its system of sources and the principles governing its effective implementation in national law. We also study the fundamental economic freedoms in the context of the European Internal Market. The active content and methodology applied provide students with the training necessary to detect the European dimension of the issues and problems whose solution should address in their professional lives.

Pre-requisites
Previous knowledge of International Organisations is required

Contents
I: The European Union Treaties
1.The Treaty of the European Union (TEU)
2. The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)
3. The European Atomic Energy Community Treaty
4. The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union

II: The European Union secondary sources of Law
1. The autonomous legal acts
1.1. Binding: regulations, directives and decisions
1.2. Non binding: recomendations y opinions
2. The international agreements with third parties
3. The non-written sources of law: the general principles of law

III: The relationship between EU Law and National Law
1. The direct effect
2. The supremacy of EU Law
3. The Member States liability for infringements of EU Law

IV: The fundamental freedoms
1. The free movement of goods
2. The free movement of persons and the free provisions of services
3. The free movement of capitals

Methodology
The learning objective intended in this course focuses on training students on how to place the basic texts of the current European Union in their historical context, in order to recognize the different types of legal acts adopted with the participation of EU institutions as well as to determine their essential characteristics; to resolve legal disputes in which rules adopted by the EuropeanUnion are involved and to resolve such conflicts in the area of the four fundamental freedoms of the internal market.

To this end, the teaching-learning strategy starts with the explanation by the teacher of the essential theoretical elements for each subject. From these explanations, students should discuss in class various political or relevant legal texts. Finally, students must solve a series of cases related to the functioning of the EU, defending their legal positions, in order to have contact with law enforcement.
The Professor will publish the major dogmatic sources, the relevant case law and other relevant documentation (diagrams, presentations, etc.), and will establishing the roadmap to follow.
Each class will present the fundamentals of each topic, encouraging students participation.

After the presentation of each subject, a review will take place though questions about the most important elements studied.

When solving practical cases and after presentation by students who have been assigned the task, there will be a sharing in the group in order to fix the ideas.

Students have access to a web site with relevant information about the contents of the subject, as well as legal documents, power points or links to websites.
 

Assessment
- 10% participation in class corresponding to the assignment given to each student
- 25% assignments
- 65% written exam