Course

European Union: Economic & Trade Law - LAWS8152

Faculty: Faculty of Law

School: Faculty of Law

Course Outline: See below

Campus: Sydney

Career: Postgraduate

Units of Credit: 6

EFTSL: 0.12500 (more info)

Indicative Contact Hours per Week: 2

Enrolment Requirements:

Academic Program must be either 9200, 9210, 5740, 9230, 9231 or 5231

Excluded: JURD7452

CSS Contribution Charge: 3 (more info)

Tuition Fee: See Tuition Fee Schedule

Further Information: See Class Timetable

View course information for previous years.

Description

The course provides an overview on the legal foundations of the European Union: The main focus will be put on the study of European Community law but the second and third pillars of European integration will also be taken into due account. The course starts with an introduction to the historic foundations and the development of European integration from Rome 1957 to the most recent developments (European Constitution). It gives a well-founded overview of the political institutions and actors, their decision-making procedures, as well as the various areas of common policy. The legal instruments, the role of the various institutions and the judicial system of the European Community will be studied in depth. An important part of the course will be dedicated to the federal structure of the European Union, the relationship between Community law and the law of the Member States, and the basic principles of Community law. Main areas of substantive Community law to be looked at are the free movement of goods, the free movement of persons, EC environmental law, and the foreign relations and trade law of the Community. The course will use a broad selection of actual cases decided by the European Court of Justice to explain the current state of European Union law.


LLM Specialisations

Recommended Prior Knowledge

There are no prerequisites necessary for this course, however students may find that having taken or taking concurrently, Public International Law, Business Associations 1, International Trade Law and Commercial Law would prove to be particularly helpful. Some basic knowledge of and/or interest in European history and culture are of advantage though not a prerequisite.

Course Objectives

Students are expected to gather a good overview over the legal foundations and the economic rationale of the Internal Market and the foreign economic policy of the European Union: In particular, the following areas are analysed in detail:
  • The common commercial policy
  • The free movement of goods
  • The free movement and establishment of persons
  • The free movement of services
  • The free movement of capitals and payments
  • EU competition law (Antitrust and state aids)

Main Topics

  • Introduction to the historic foundations and the development of European integration
  • Overview of the political institutions and actors, their decision-making procedures
  • The Common Commercial Policy (Trade): WTO and preferential agreements
  • Finding information
  • The internal market: free movement of goods; free movement of workers; freedom of establishment; free movement of services; Free Movement of Capitals and Payments; Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)
  • Competition: Antitrust Law; State aid
  • State aid

Assessment

 
Take-home exam
 
100%
OR    
Research essay
5,000 words
100%
 

Course Texts

Prescribed


Refer to Course Outline provided by lecturer at the beginning of session.

Resources

Refer to Course Outline provided by lecturer at the beginning of session.
Law Books

Study Levels

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