Postgraduate Course: EU External Economic Relations Law (LAWS11242)
Course Outline
| School | School of Law |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The objective of the course is to equip students with advanced knowledge of the legal and institutional framework governing the external economic relations of the European Union (EU). The EU is a complex international actor with a variety of attributed and implied powers and the course will explore the division of competence between the EU and its Member States in relation to economic relations with third countries. The course will also examine the institutional arrangements within the EU in order to understand the role of the Commission, Council and Parliament in making external economic policy, as well as the role of the Court of Justice of the European Union in shaping this process. Based upon this knowledge of the inner workings of the EU, the course will turn to consider the different legal instruments and policy tools that are used by the EU in its economic relationships with third countries and how it interacts with international organisations. Specific analysis will be made of 1) the legal foundations for the EU's interaction with the WTO, 2) the legal foundations for the EU's investment policy and handling of investment disputes and 3) the EU's approach to trade and development, in particular the Generalised System of Preferences regime. |
| Course description |
The course is broadly divided into two parts. The first group of seminars will address the constitutional foundations of the EU as an actor in international relations, examining both the EU treaties and the relevant case law of the European Court of Justice. The topics that will be covered include: the EU as an international actor with attributed powers; the EU and its Member States on the international scene; and the legal status and effect of international agreements in the EU¿s legal order. The second group of seminars will instead consider the legal framework and specific instruments of the EU's external economic relations, starting with the common commercial policy as the oldest and most developed EU external policy, followed by the EU's development cooperation policy as well as the external dimension of the economic and monetary union (EMU). Students will also explore how the EU's external economic policies interact with, and are used to promote the objectives of, other EU policies (such as the common foreign and security policy and environmental policy).
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Whilst there are no pre-requisites students will benefit from having prior knowledge of EU constitutional law and institutions |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 25 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 4,
Summative Assessment Hours 4,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
168 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
80% Essay
20% Class participation
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| Feedback |
A 'forward feedback session' will be held shortly after the distribution of essay questions (i.e., the main piece of summative assessment for the course) and prior to the reading week. This will offer students in the course the opportunity to raise questions of clarification regarding both the essay questions and the applicable School marking criteria. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- 1. To gain in-depth knowledge and understanding of the legal and institutional framework governing the EU¿s external economic relations, as well as of EU practice in this field;
- 2. To acquire an ability to critically assess the role of the EU as an actor in global economic affairs and to consider possible avenues for legal/policy development;
- 3. To acquire an ability to critically engage with contemporary legal and policy debates on the EU as an international actor, with a view to reflecting on different approaches and viewpoints on controversial issues;
- 4. To further develop the ability to conduct independent research, to identify relevant primary and secondary sources, and to synthesise and evaluate material from a variety of sources (via the course assessment);
- 5. To further develop the ability to articulate, sustain and defend a line of argument, in both written and oral form (via the course assessment), as well as to further develop skills of communication, expression and debate (via active seminar participation).
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Reading List
- P. Craig & G. de Búrca, EU Law ¿ Text, Cases and Materials (Oxford University Press, 5th edition, 2011), particularly chapters 1-5;
OR
- A. Dashwood & D. Wyatt, European Union Law (Hart, 6th edition 2011), chapters 1-5;
OR
- D. Chalmers & G. Davies, European Union Law ¿ Text and Materials (Cambridge University Press, 3rd edition, 2014), particularly chapters 1-3 and 5.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
1. Generic cognitive skills: ability to exercise informed and rigorous analysis as well as critical and independent judgement of complex legal/policy issues;
2. Communication/IT skills: ability to express information and arguments in a succinct, coherent and persuasive manner, both orally and in writing (via the course assessment), while remaining open to discuss and learn from other points of view (via active seminar participation). Ability to locate legal and other sources through library and IT resources, as well as to present written work in a appropriate format;
3. Autonomy/accountability: ability to work autonomously in preparing for seminars and completing the course assessment, while seeking advice when appropriate and incorporating feedback received. Ability to manage time and deliver work within externally imposed deadlines.
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| Keywords | European Union Law,EU in International affairs,EU external economics polices |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Filippo Fontanelli
Tel: (0131 6)51 3781
Email: Filippo.Fontanelli@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Susanna Wickes
Tel:
Email: Susanna.Wickes@ed.ac.uk |
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