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European Union Law

Module description

The European Union is one of the most successful international organisations ever created. For over almost half a century, the United Kingdom’s membership of the EU has had a major impact on the English legal system and on numerous areas of public policy, ranging from trade and agriculture to education and internal security. Brexit transforms this long-standing relationship, but EU law will remain relevant for the foreseeable future. Much of EU law will continue to apply within the UK’s domestic legal order in the form of retained law. While the UK will no longer be bound by new rules adopted by the EU, an understanding of these rules and the EU’s legal order remains important, for the EU will not cease to be one of the major trading partners of the UK. More generally, studying the EU provides an excellent opportunity to explore a different legal system and the distinct legal and political dynamics it generates.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aim of this module is to equip you with a detailed understanding of some of the key features of the European Union and its legal system. To this end, the module will introduce you to the institutional framework and decision-making processes of the EU, explore the sources of EU law and the core principles of the European legal order, and provide you with an overview of certain free movement rights.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

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

• 1. demonstrate awareness of some wider social and contextual implications of the areas of EU law studied;
• 2. demonstrate the ability to identify, explain and discuss key issues in EU law and to apply relevant rules and theories.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

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

• 3. demonstrate knowledge of legal concepts and their contextual, social, and political implications;
• 4. demonstrate the ability to select and present, in a coherent way, relevant law and legal or theoretical arguments.

ILO: Personal and key skills

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

• 5. communicate effectively and accurately, in a manner appropriate to the discipline;
• 6. demonstrate the ability to work independently and to manage time efficiently in preparing for scheduled learning activities and assessments.

Syllabus plan

Whilst 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:

• Introduction to the EU
• What is the European Union?
• Competences, sovereignty and membership
• Institutions and sources of law
• Constitutional features of EU law
• Preliminary references
• Enforcing EU law
• Free movement of goods
• Free movement of persons

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

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) 

N. Foster, Blackstones EU Treaties & Legislation (most recent edition)

R. Schütze, An Introduction to European law (most recent edition)

Key words search

European Union Law, EU law