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European Union Law

Module description

The purpose of this module is to equip you with a thorough understanding of the key features of the European Union and its legal order. The European Union is the product of several decades of economic, political and legal integration between its Member States. Given the significant impact of EU law and policies on the Member States, understanding this area of law is vital for any practicing lawyer. The study of EU law is also extremely rewarding from a more academic perspective, as it teaches us important lessons about the interaction between different legal orders, the limits of State sovereignty and the role of international institutions. The first part of the course will focus primarily on the institutional and procedural law of the EU, while the second part of the course will be concerned with the rules governing certain key substantive policy areas, in particular the law relating to the internal market.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aim of the module is to provide you with a thorough understanding of the institutional law of the European Union as well as certain areas of its substantive law, together with an understanding of their impact on the national legal orders of the Member States. In doing so, the module focuses on the legal nature of the EU and its legal system, the functions of the EU institutions and their mutual interaction, the sources of EU law and the legislative process, the procedural law of the EU, including the judicial remedies available to institutions, Member States and private parties, as well as a range of substantive areas of EU law, such as the free movement of goods and the protection of fundamental rights.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of the legal nature of the European Union and its legal order, including its competences, institutional structure, sources of law and key legislative procedures;
• 2. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of key aspects of substantive EU law;
• 3. demonstrate understanding of, and ability to evaluate, the interaction between European Union law and the domestic legal systems of the Member States, with particular reference to the United Kingdom;
• 4. research both theoretical and practical legal questions related to the key aspects of both procedural and substantive EU law and apply various EU law provisions selectively in order to formulate and evaluate a response to it;

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of a range of legal rules, relevant legal concepts, values and principles, and the ability to appreciate their contextual, social and political implications;
• 6. apply legal knowledge to a problem or case study and to discuss it, while making informed and effective judgements about the merits and relevance of particular information and making reasoned choices between alternative solutions or arguments;
• 7. communicate relevant information selected from primary and secondary legal sources using appropriate interpretative techniques, and argue effectively and concisely, in a manner appropriate to the discipline and in task-specific ways;

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 8. take responsibility for own learning (with some support), and work effectively with others within a group, meeting obligations to the other members of the group;
• 9. identify, retrieve and use efficiently a range of resources with little guidance;
• 10. manage time independently and efficiently in preparing for learning activities, and work independently within a limited time frame to complete a specified task.

Syllabus plan

While the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

• Introducing the European Union: history and evolution.
• EU institutions: The Commission, Council of the EU, European Council, European Parliament and the Court of Justice of the European Union.
• Sources of EU law: transfer, competence and law making.
• The EU legal system: The Treaties, primary and secondary legislation. General principles.
• Doctrine of supremacy. Reception of EU la by member states.
• Direct and indirect effect. State liability.
• Preliminary Rulings. Actions against Member States.
• Free movement of goods – tariffs and fiscal barriers.
• Free movement of goods – non- fiscal barriers.
• Free movement of workers.
• EU citizenship.
• Fundamental rights protection.
• Freedom of establishment and services.
• EU competition law.
• Anti-discrimination law.
• Environmental law and protection.
• EU administrative law.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Indicative Basic Reading List  

Textbooks: P. Craig  and G. de Burca, EU Law: Text, Cases and Materials (most recent edition)

D. Chalmers European Union Law (most recent edition)

C. Barnard European Union Law (most recent edition)

Collection of primary materials: N. Foster Blackstones EU Treaties & Legislation 2012–2013 (most recent edition)

Key words search

European Union Law, EU law