EU and EEA Institutional Law and Policymaking - Master
Postgraduate course
- ECTS credits
- 10
- Teaching semesters
- Autumn
- Course code
- JUS3500
- Number of semesters
- 1
- Teaching language
- English
- Resources
- Schedule
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
Level of Study
Semester of Instruction
Place of Instruction
Required Previous Knowledge
Recommended Previous Knowledge
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
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
Assessment Semester
Reading List
Course Evaluation
Examination Support Material
Programme Committee
Course Coordinator
Professor Christian Franklin
Professor Halvard Haukeland Fredriksen