Saint-Louis University - Bruxelles
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DROI1313 - Foundations of EU Law (+ exercises session without casus)


USL-B


Credits : 5

Lecturer :
Teaching assistant :
Mode of delivery :
Face-to-face , first term, 45 hours of theory and 6 hours of tutorials without cases.

Timetable :
First term
Monday from 08:30 to 11:30 at 43 Botanique 3

Language of instruction :
French

Learning outcomes :
The aim is to familiarise the students with the key-concepts of law of the EU and more specifically the fundamental obligations, the general principles and the basic obligations included in the TEU, the TFEU and the Charter of fundamental rights of the EU (primary law).

The course is built around a dual approach:
a) the specificities of the legal system of the European Union and its interaction with national and international law
b) the judicial protection deriving from this legal system

The subject matter is set out in the teacher's textbook on European institutional law and litigation (Paradigm collection, Larcier, 2022).

Secondary or derivative law is only involved as an illustration of the obligations of primary law. Thus, even if the guidelines for the protection of workers and consumers are regularly mentioned, they will not be studied in depth.

This course is part of a Jean Monnet Chair given to the course lecturer by the European Commission under the Lifelong Learning Programme (Decision 1720/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 November 2006) whose objective is "to stimulate teaching, reflection and debate on European integration," (Article 35). Jean Monnet Chairs are specialised teaching positions in European integration studies.

Given the importance exerted by EU law today, this course is essential to the learning of positive law. For most students, this course will provide a unique opportunity to learn the foundations of the EU, as with exception of the specialised master courses under the international law orientation, there is no other general course on this subject. In addition, it will allow students to follow more easily the substantive law course (public international law, private international law, fiscal law, etc.). Indeed, the matter that is addressed here interacts with a series of disciplines that are taught in third year of Bachelor and first year of Master.

This is an open book exam as students have to answer theoretical questions and solve cases using the textbook on European institutional law and litigation (collection Paradigme, Larcier, 2022)



Prerequisites :
Co-requisites :
None

Course contents :
- Part 1: The nature of the European Union
- Part Two: The Constitutional Charter
- Part 3: The institutional framework
- Part 4: The typology of judicial remedies
- Part 5: Sources of Union law and judicial protection
- Part 6: General policies
- Part 7: The Union's external relations


Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
Lecture based on the book written in French. 3 accompanying seminars given by Ms. D'Ursel, Official at the legal service of the Council.

Assessment methods and criteria :
Written and open book examination including several case studies, theoretical questions and general knowledge questions. On the day of the examination, students will have at their disposal the different EU Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, as well as the Professor's textbook on European institutional law and litigation. These texts may not be annotated in any way.

Students are assessed on their ability to solve complex legal problems in the light of the case law criteria set out in the Professor's textbook. The student is expected to be rigorous and to use the appropriate terminology.

Although this type of assessment does not require more work than a traditional exam, it does not require less work.

The understanding of a complex legal subject is therefore essential. It is essential that the student attends all lectures and seminars.

In order to prepare students for this type of assessment, they will be provided with a binder containing questions asked in previous years and sample answers.



Recommended or required reading :
The textbook is particularly exhaustive. It outlines the subject matter systematically. It systematises the course, which revolves mainly around an oral presentation.

EU law is particularly lively. To better understand the scope of the rules discussed in class, including the functioning of institutions, students are encouraged to read:
a) the Belgian press that carries extensive daily analyses of policies pursued by the EU
b) the websites of the EU
c) the programmes of the TV channel Euronews


Other information :
Syllabus