Face-to-face , first term, 45 hours of theory and 6 hours of tutorials without cases.

First term
Monday from 09:30 to 12:30 at 43 Botanique 3
Monday from 09:30 to 12:30 at 43 Botanique 5

The course, supports and examination are in English.

This course aims to introduce students to the fundamental issues of EU Law. Specifically, it aims to provide students with a firm grounding on the institutional background and constitutional fundamentals of EU Law. It will generally lay down the basics of the internal market, canvass the building of a European judicial system and deepen students' understanding of the relationship between EU law and the legal systems of the Member States. The course is built around three main themes: the establishment of the EU, the exercise of power in the EU, and the legal system of the EU. Particular emphasis will lie on an analysis of the case-law of the Court of Justice. In consideration of the fact that the legal system of the European Union is in a state of constant flux and change, emphasis will lay on the dynamic architecture of the European Union, brought about by the Court of Justice in the interpretation of EU law or amendments to the Union's basic treaties. The course will naturally devote attention to enlargement issues and the principal features of the Lisbon Treaty. In so doing, students will reflect on current attempts to simplify the Union and redefine the Union's sphere of competence and inter-institutional allocation of power.

The course unfolds through a series of lectures with discussions on different texts (judicial decisions or scholarly articles), which students are invited to read and analyze in advance. The reading of the texts is strongly recommended in order to facilitate the sharing of reflections during class discussions. A PowerPoint presentation will complete the lectures. Needless to say, course material (in-house or student-made) and PowerPoint presentations are not all-encompassing for the exam. Academic success largely depends on sound concentration during the lectures accompanied by a follow-up of study, insight and focus at home.

For the Bachelor in Law :

For the Bachelor in Information and Communication :

For the Bachelor in Economics and Management :

For the Bachelor in Political Sciences: General :

For the Bachelor in Sociology and Anthropology :

None

The course is built around three main themes: the establishment of the EU, the exercise of power in the EU, and the legal system of the EU. Particular emphasis will lie on an analysis of the case-law of the Court of Justice.

In consideration of the fact that the legal system of the European Union is in a state of constant flux and change, emphasis will lay on the dynamic architecture of the European Union, brought about by the Court of Justice in the interpretation of EU law or amendments to the Union's basic treaties. The course will naturally devote attention to enlargement issues and the reasons that belie the failed adoption of a European Constitution in 2005. In so doing, students will reflect on current attempts to simplify the Treaties and redefine the Union's sphere of competence and inter-institutional allocation of power.

The course is given through a series lectures with discussions on different texts (judicial decisions or scholarly articles), which students are invited to read and analyze in advance. The reading of the texts is strongly recommended in order to facilitate the sharing of reflections during class discussions. A PowerPoint presentation will complete the lectures. Needless to say, course material (in-house or student-made) and PowerPoint presentations are not all-encompassing for the exam. Academic success largely depends on sound concentration during the lectures accompanied by a follow-up of study, insight and focus at home.

The final assessment consists of a written examination (3 hours) that includes a series of questions and the analysis of different texts studied in class. The examination criteria include the evaluation of the students' understanding of the subjects covered during the course, the structure of their reasoning, their argumentation, their analytical and summarizing skills as well as their ability to establish links between the various parts of the subject matter. The assessment also considers the quality of writing, clarity of exposition and correctness of style and spelling. The only documents allowed at the examination are the consolidated treaties (TEU and TFEU) and a common language dictionary (French-English/English-French, Italian-English, English-Italian, etc.).

A reference work completes the course: Robert Schütze, European Union Law (Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2018). Students may also wish to consult Robert Schütze, An Introduction to European Law (Oxford: OUP, 2020).

Supports: Besides the PowerPoint presentations, the students have at their disposal a syllabus that includes an outline of the lecture as well as a collection of texts including the texts they should read in advance, the major court rulings of the Court of justice and the constitutive treaties of the EU.

As mentioned above, the reading of the texts is strongly recommended in order to facilitate the understanding of the issues discussed in class and the sharing of reflections during class discussions. The professor will answer any questions by appointment or by mail

Please contact Professor van der Mensbrugghe at his office during office hours (Office 4013: Wednesdays, 4 to 6 pm). Questions may also be answered by appointment or by e-mail: francois.vandermensbrugghe@usaintlouis.be