The European Union in the World - LAWS8159

Description

• The constitutional aspects of EU international action (in which areas can the EU act? To what extent does its action affect the international role of Member States? What type of agreements can the EU conclude? How intense is the scrutiny of the EU courts over such agreements?);
• The relationship between international law and EU law (what are the effects of international law over EU law? What is the relationship between the law of World Trade Organisation and EU law? Can individuals enforce international rules? What is the relationship between EU courts and other international and transnational courts?);
• International economic relations (anti-dumping law, development, relations with countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the West Balkans, and the Mediterranean countries);
• International political relations (Common Foreign and Security Policy, Common Security and Defence Policy, the links between trade and foreign policy such as economic sanctions, smart sanctions and their impact on fundamental human rights)

LLM Specialisation

Recommended Prior Knowledge

Course Objectives

• To introduce the students to the constitutional principles underpinning the international action of the European Union and their development by the European Court of Justice;
• To explore the application of those principles in practice;
• To identify the legal, political and economic implications of this practice in terms of the EU constitutional order and the international arena;
• To explore the various legal, economic and political mechanisms pursuant to which the EU relates to the outside world;
• To analyse the emerging role of the EU as an international political actor, including the security and defence policy dimension of its external activities.

Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate understanding of the EU international relations issues covered in the course in their constitutional, political and economic context;
• Summarise the current state of doctrinal debate on the matters covered in the course;
• Assess the interaction between various decision-making actors in the areas covered in the course;
• Demonstrate an awareness of the different policy choices facing the decision-making actors in the areas covered in the course;
• Demonstrate understanding of the interaction between law and politics in the areas covered in the course;
• Participate appropriately in academic debate on matters covered in the course and make oral presentation of specialist material;
• Interact with the other members of the seminar group, offering views, receiving information and modifying responses where appropriate.

Assessment

Course Texts