OCEU 2205 - Law of External Relations of the European Union

This course offers insights into the legal aspects of the EU's external action and relations. It focuses on the EU's external competences and objectives, legal personality, the actors, decision-making processes (including treaty-making), instruments and principles of external action and relations, the legal effects of international agreements and international law in the EU's internal legal order, as well as on the relationship between the EU and international organisations.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, students shoulld be able to:

1. Understand the European and international legal framework governing the EU's external relations

2. Explain the competences, actors, procedures and instruments of EU external policy- and law-making

3. Conceptualise different aspects of the relationship between European and international law

4. Critically assess the role of values in the EU's external action

5. Analyse the case-law of the Court of Justice in the field of external relations

Professional Skills

Legal argumentation; ability to read, discuss and critically assess legal and institutional texts.

Jan WOUTERS

Séminaire

English

- In Class Presence: 24 hours

- Reading and Preparation for Class: 56 hours a semester

- Research and Writing for Individual Assessments: 70 hours a semester

None.

Spring 2021-2022

Grading/assessment will be done on the basis of the following: 1) Mid-term each student will have to write a critical annotation of a recent judgment / opinion of the European Court of Justice in the area of EU external relations law. The cases will be assigned in one of the first class sessions. Maximum number of words is 3000. This annotation counts for 40% of the total assessment. 2) After the end of classes each student will have to write a final paper on a theme of EU external relations law agreed with the professor. In the course of classes a list of topics will be distributed. This paper should have a maximum number of 6000 words. The final paper counts for 60% of the total assessment.

Written feedback after mid-term and final assignments.