KAFP 4265 - EU institutions, law and policies : current issues and future challenges

This interdisciplinary course explores European public affairs and institutions from the combined perspective of political science and law. It focuses on major contemporary issues in European law and policy and investigates the responses offered by EU institutions. The aim is to equip students with the foundations of a European legal and political culture. After providing students with an overview of the Union's basic institutional framework and legal order, the course will investigate current issues and future challenges of EU law and policy. Themes will range from the functioning of the EU, the protection of fundamental rights, EU citizenship, the rule of law and better regulation to recent major disruptions such as Brexit, the Eurozone crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic, and current reflexions on a possible treaty reform. Learning objectives At the end of the course, students will be able to: • Apply knowledge of EU institutions, law and policies to real-world scenarios, demonstrating problem-solving skills; • Locate and analyse primary and secondary source materials, including very recent legal and policy developments; • Demonstrate enhanced research and analytical skills, primarily library skills but also use of databases and appropriate use of Internet resources, in particular through the group work assessment; • Develop writing, argument-building and critical analysis skills, in particular through the written exam.

Raphaële XENIDIS,Augustin NORMAND,Olivier COSTA

Cours magistral seul

English

Students are expected to complete the mandatory readings before attending the course. Optional readings are provided for each class, which students can complete before or after the corresponding lecture to go deeper into the various issues covered in class.

No pre-requisite necessary for this course.

Spring 2022-2023

1) Short quiz: after the first two introductory lectures (classes 1 and 2), students will be required to complete a short quiz to consolidate their learning on the basic institutional and legal framework of the European Union. 2) Group work: students will be required to work in groups to draft a policy/legal brief responding to a question shared ahead of the deadline. This will include preparation time organised by student groups autonomously and outside the lectures. 3) Written exam: the concluding exam will cover the entire content of the course and will consist of several short essay questions.

The course consists of 12 lectures which will be taught by Olivier Costa and Raphaële Xenidis on an alternating basis so as to create an interdisciplinary dialogue between political and legal perspectives on EU public affairs.