EU and EEA Institutional Law and Policymaking - Master

Postgraduate course

Course description

Objectives and Content

This interdisciplinary course aims to provide students with a comprehensive overview of EU/EEA institutional and constitutional law, as well as providing an introduction to EU/EEA politics and policymaking.

Teaching on the course will focus particularly on how EU and EEA law is made, the various political theories of European integration which shape them, and how they are interpreted, applied, and enforced by various actors at national and international level in practice.

The topics covered by the course constitute the very core of EU/EEA cooperation, and will include (but not be limited to):

  • Theories of EU/EEA integration
  • Policy competences and institutional structures of the EU/EEA
  • The role of the EU as an international actor
  • The (non-)hierarchical sources of EU/EEA law, and how they interrelate
  • EU/EEA legislative processes
  • The joint role of the European Court of Justice, EFTA Court and national administrative and judicial authorities in affording judicial protection to individuals, Member States, and the institutions of the EU/EEA

The course will look to go further than, and for most students build further on, general introductory courses on EU/EEA law they may already have taken, by delving deeper into the issues and by providing interdisciplinary insights into the policymaking and political aspects and theories of EU and EEA cooperation.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge

By the end of the course, students will be expected to be able to demonstrate:

  • Thorough knowledge and understanding of the core institutional rules and principles set out in the EU Treaty, EEA Agreement and EFTA Surveillance and Court Agreement.
  • Thorough knowledge and understanding of the relationship between the EU and EEA policymaking and regulatory regimes, and their relationship to the national political and legal systems of the EEA Member States.
  • General awareness of the most recent developments in the case-law of the EU and EFTA Courts and national courts of the EEA states concerning institutional legal issues.
  • General knowledge and understanding of the polity, politics, and policies of the EU and EEA, including the role of key political actors, such as interest groups and political parties.
  • Familiarity with the main theories of European integration.

Skills

By the end of the course, students should have developed the following skills:

  • Reading and critical analysis enabling them to evaluate academic works in the field on institutional EU/EEA law
  • Written and oral skills, including the clear and succinct expression of ideas through presentations and case-studies
  • A basic grounding in legal research skills and techniques relevant and transferable to all fields of EU and EEA substantive law
  • Ability to relate the knowledge acquired throughout the course to current political and legal events and developments within the EU and EEA
  • Ability to discuss and reflect on the EU/EEA policies, the institutional arrangements behind them, and their possible legal and policymaking implications both presently and in the future

Competencies

By the end of the course, students should have developed the following general competencies:

  • The ability to think critically, independently and constructively
  • The ability to formulate arguments based on a variety of sources, and to initiate a dialogue between those sources
  • The ability to reflect upon, synthesize and present knowledge in a simple and efficient way under time constraints (2-day take home examination).

ECTS Credits

10 ECTS

Level of Study

Master

Semester of Instruction

Autumn

Place of Instruction

Faculty of Law, University of Bergen
Required Previous Knowledge
Three years of law studies
Recommended Previous Knowledge
Good command of English language
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
Combined with JUS2300 EU and EEA Int. Law and Policy (bachelor) this course will generate no new credits.
Access to the Course

The course is available for the following students:

  • Admitted to the Master of Laws (LLM) in EU and EEA Law
  • Admitted to the integrated master programme in law
  • Admitted to the two-year master programme in law
  • Granted admission to elective courses at the Faculty of Law
  • Granted additional right to study following completed master degree in law at UiB
  • Exchange students at the Faculty of Law

The pre-requirements may still limit certain students access to the course

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures and Master Classes.

Master Classes look to go one step further than regular lectures - requiring more in-depth and specific preparation (i.e. reading of specific cases, articles, reports etc.), and charging students with responsibility for teaching and learning from each other through the use of flipped classrooms, group and/or individual presentations and debates.

Compulsory Assignments and Attendance

Attendance at the Master Classes is mandatory.

Students will need to pass an online multiple-choice test before the final examination. This additional test will allow more detailed knowledge of matters covered on the course to be tested, in addition to the more reflective questions which will be posed in the take-home examination. The multiple-choice test is assessed as a pass/non-pass, and students must pass this compulsory assignment to be able to complete the take-home exam.

Forms of Assessment
Take-home exam to be answered during two days.
Assessment Semester
Autumn
Reading List
The reading list will be ready 1 july for the autumn semester.
Course Evaluation
According to administrative arrangements for evaluating courses at the Faculty of Law.
Examination Support Material
Since the examination may be taken at home, there are no restrictions on supporting materials during the examinations.
Programme Committee
The Academic Affairs Committee (Studieutvalget) at the Faculty of Law is responsible for ensuring the material content, structure and quality of the programme.
Course Coordinator

Professor Christian Franklin

Professor Halvard Haukeland Fredriksen

Course Administrator
The Faculty of Law¿s section for students and academic affairs (Studieseksjonen) is responsible for administering the course.