50204 - KEY ISSUES IN EU LAW
Department of Law
Course taught in English
Go to class group/s: 31
ACME (6 credits - I sem. - OP | IUS/14) - AFM (6 credits - I sem. - OP | IUS/14) - AI (6 credits - I sem. - OP | IUS/14) - CLMG (6 credits - I sem. - OP | IUS/14) - DSBA (6 credits - I sem. - OP | IUS/14) - EMIT (6 credits - I sem. - OP | IUS/14) - ESS (6 credits - I sem. - OP | GIUR-10/A | IUS/14) - FIN (6 credits - I sem. - OP | IUS/14) - GIO (6 credits - I sem. - OP | IUS/14) - IM (6 credits - I sem. - OP | IUS/14) - MM (6 credits - I sem. - OP | IUS/14) - PPA (6 credits - I sem. - OP | IUS/14)
Course Director:
ELEANOR SPAVENTA
ELEANOR SPAVENTA
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. 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
In the past 20 years or so the EU and its Member States have had to deal with several crises and emergencies, from migratory influxes triggered by global instability and wars, to the financial crisis which threatened the very survival of the euro; from the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, to the impact of the wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Iran. Furthermore, those crises have been compounded (and sometimes created) by the shift in US policy towards both trade and security in Europe, leading to a reflection as to the role and the limits of the EU integration project. In the current rapidly changing landscape, this course aims to explore how the EU has addressed these challenges, in order to introduce students to more sophisticated tools to understand and work with EU law. The course will focus on the EU's responses to both internal and external emergencies,. In particular, the course will cover the tools used to address internal challenges (e.g. the euro crisis, the Covid crisis, the rule of law crisis, Brexit); and to address challenges created by the evolving geopolitical landscape (e.g. war in Ukraine, the strain in transatlantic relations, the pressure from other global powers seeking to weaken the EU , , enlargement etc).
CONTENT SUMMARY
The course will look at how the EU is dealing with the many "emergencies" that have arisen in the past 20 years or so. It will examine the following topics:
- Introduction to the EU legal system, focussing on competences and governance
- The evolution of economic governance from the euro-crisis to Next Generation EU
- The rule of law crises and the values of the EU
- The use of TFEU competences to address geopolitical tensions
- The constitutional foundations of the EU external relations: the EU’s 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 neighbourhood policy and membership of the EU
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. Argue coherently their viewpoint illustrating their answers with examples.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of EU action in the policy areas under examination.
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Identify the limits and risks of generative AI in advanced legal and policy work, with reference to legal authority and source verification.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
- Organize and structure information in a coherent and logical way to support legal arguments, also using relevant AI tools.
- Identify relevant legal principles and apply them to concrete case studies.
- Collaborate effectively with peers
• Evaluate AI-generated case summaries, draft memos and policy materials against the original judgments and primary sources.
Teaching methods
- Lectures
- Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
- 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 assignments as well as problem question solving within the class. Student-led work is also envisaged. This may take the form of short briefings on a leading judgment, the discussion of a recent development brought in by one of the groups, a structured debate on a contested question, or a simulation. The simulation might include a Council negotiation, a mock hearing before the Court, a treaty-making exercise, the drafting of an Advocate General’s opinion.
Attendance is not mandatory but highly recommended. Attending students have the opportunity to participate in group assignments.
Assessment methods
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ATTENDING STUDENTS
Attending student will be assessed through class work which will count towards 25% of the final mark.
The exam will count for the remaining 75% and students will have to answer 3 open questions. Students will need to 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. Argue coherently their viewpoint illustrating their answers with examples.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of EU action in the policy areas under examination.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Non attending students will be assessed through a written exam which represents 100% of the final mark. Students will have to answer 4 open questions. Through the exam students will show to 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. Argue coherently their viewpoint illustrating their answers with examples; Evaluate the effectiveness of EU action in the policy areas under examination.
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 25/05/2026 17:18