Course 2024-2025 a.y.

50204 - KEY ISSUES IN EU LAW

Department of Law

Course taught in English

Student consultation hours
Go to class group/s: 31
CLMG (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  IUS/13) - M (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  IUS/13) - IM (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  IUS/13) - MM (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  IUS/13) - AFC (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  IUS/13) - CLELI (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  IUS/13) - ACME (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  IUS/13) - DES-ESS (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  IUS/13) - EMIT (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  IUS/13) - GIO (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  IUS/13) - DSBA (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  IUS/13) - PPA (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  IUS/13) - FIN (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  IUS/13) - AI (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  IUS/13)
Course Director:
MARIA ANTONIA PANASCI'

Classes: 31 (I sem.)
Instructors:
Class 31: MARIA ANTONIA PANASCI'


Suggested background knowledge

Students who do not have a background knowledge of EU law should acquaint themselves with the basic institutional and constitutional architecture of the EU and should read a A. Arnull EU Law : a Very Short Introduction (OUP 2017) or M. Dawson & F. De Witte EU Law and Governance (CUP 2022).

Mission & Content Summary

MISSION

The course aims to introduce students to advanced and separate topics of EU law, so as to equip them with more sophisticated tools to understand and work with EU law. In particular, the first part of the course covers the External Relations of the EU, focusing on the constitutional foundations and specific policies (Common Foreign and Security Policy, Common Security and Defence Policy, Common Commercial Policy and Environmental Policy). The second part of the course focuses on the constitutional and institutional architecture of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), including its historical context, its theoretical and legal foundations, and its evolution in response to the euro crisis and the pandemic. The third part of the course deals with EU State aid control to understand how the EU Commission ensures the level playing field in the internal market. Students will study the EU State aid legal regime and the role played by State aid rules in times of emergency, during the pandemic and geopolitical turbulences.

CONTENT SUMMARY

·         Introduction to the external relations in the EU system

·         Constitutional foundations of the EU external relations: the EU external competence and instruments of EU external action

·         The Common Commercial Policy

·         The Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy

·         The EU external environmental policy

 

·         History and Theoretical Foundations of an “incomplete” EMU;

·         EMU’s Legal Framework: a core asymmetry between the monetary and economic pillar;

·         The EU’s response to the euro crisis: financial assistance and the European Stability; Mechanism (ESM), judicial scrutiny of bailouts, ECB’s bond-buying programmes;

·         The EU’s response to the pandemic: Nex Generation EU and its impact on EMU;

·         The future of EMU: completing the banking union, reforming EU fiscal rules, and other proposals

 

 

·         State Aid Rationale

·         The Notion of State Aid

·         Compatibility of State Aid

·         Recovery of State Aid

·         State Aid in times of emergency

 


Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Define and describe the workings and the shortcomings of EU policies in the relevant areas.
  • Illustrate their points with examples from the case law, policy documents and acts of the EU institutions.

  • Summarize effectively and critically complex information and express clearly their opinions on the topics examined.

 

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Analyze complex material (regulations, case law and policy documents).
  • Apply their knowledge to concrete situations.
  • Argue coherently their view point illustrating their answers with examples
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of EU action in the policy areas under examination.

Teaching methods

  • Lectures
  • Collaborative Works / Assignments
  • Interaction/Gamification

DETAILS

The classes are intended to stimulate and ensure student participation. To this end, there are going to be group assignemetns as well as problem question solving within the class. 


Assessment methods

  Continuous assessment Partial exams General exam
  • Written individual exam (traditional/online)
     x
  • Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)
 x    
  • Active class participation (virtual, attendance)
 x    

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

The final exam aims to assess students' knowledge and understanding of the workings and the shortcomings of EU policies in the relevant areas as well as their ability to critically assess discrete topics of EU law.

 

The group assignment is designed to test students' ability to conduct independent research and critically engage with, and examine, relevant primary and secondary sources (case law, legislation, scholarship).

 


Teaching materials


ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Teaching materials consist of specialist articles and chapters from books, case law, policy documents etc, as well as the slides used during the lectures. Where possible, and consistently with copyright, teaching materials are uploaded on Bboard; where teaching material cannot be directly uploaded detailed references are given on Bboard.

Last change 30/05/2024 14:49