LAW-54306 European Union Law

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Continuation courses:

Law & Governance, Food Law, Comparative Food Law, Globalisation & Governance

Contents:

The European Union is the indispensable extension of the national states of Europe. Its law and policies set conditions for national law and policies. They require the national authorities to apply the Union' s law with national instruments guided by Treaty obligations and EU legislation. The independent European Commission and procedures prescribed by the Treaty in general, and specifically for particular subjects, guard over the correct application of EU law in the national implementation of that law.
The European Union rules the national states. Their policies and law are (co-) determined by the supreme law of the Union. Its direct effect makes all national judges the guardians of EU law. The core business of Wageningen University coincides with the major EU policies. Knowledge of the rules of the game is indispensable.
The course begins with the constitutional construction of the EU: the structural elements that determine the content of the policies.
The internal market gets special attention because it severely limits national legislation that can be valid only when it does not potentially hinder the free movement of goods. Special notification procedures test this internal market conformity. The free movement of goods, EU environmental law, competition law and human rights law are studied in more detail.

Learning outcomes:

- students have knowledge of and insights in the constitutional construction of the EU with its institutions, the powers they have, the procedures that determine the organisation of decision making and the substantive rules of EU law that determine which policies are possible and what their contents and instrumentation will be;
- students can determine, find and work with relevant sources of European law;
- students understand the interplay of EU law with national and international (global) levels and can analyse it in specific policy domains;
- students appreciate the impact of EU law on economic, environmental and human rights policy both at national and at European level;
- students can analyse the EU law dimension of their scholarly or professional activities in other domains.

Activities:

- study literature;
- find and analyse sources of law;
- participate in lectures and discussions;
- write a paper.

Examination:

Depending on number of participants written or oral: open questions exam plus individual paper

Literature:

To be determined.