Introduction to European Union Law

3 units

This course offers an introduction to the law of European Union, in particular to the EU constitutional and institutional structure. This is an introductory course and is not addressed to those who already familiar with the concept of European integration. Although it will focus on general legal arrangements of the EU, the dynamism of the present crisis (as manifested by the U.K. decision to leave the Union) may require some last-minute updates. We all know that the EU is experiencing a difficult time now. But, we know less about what the EU is, how it works, and what its goals are. The aim of the course is to fill this gap, at least in part. The course is composed of four segments. It examines, first, historical and conceptual foundations of the European integration and, in particular, its gradual transformation from an economic integrational project into a pan-European structure of constitutional (quasi-federative) nature. The second part examines the legal foundations of the EU: the sources and structure of EU law, the structure of its governing bodies, the basic elements of its legal doctrine (direct effect, supremacy and fundamental rights) as elaborated by the EU Court of Justice. The third part deals with relations between the EU and its Member-States, in particular - with judicial reactions to the clash between national sovereignty and the extension of EU aims and policies. The last part will address two recent challenges for the EU system: the controversies resulting upon the ongoing debt crisis, and the question-marks surrounding the implementation of the Brexit decision. Prerequisites: none. Method of evaluation: class participation - 20%; take-home exam - 80% Credits: 3.0