The module builds on the knowledge of the EU legal order gained by students in year one, providing for a broader, and more critical approach to key elements of the EU’s institutional and constitutional order. It will explore how EU law is made, implemented and enforced. The module also examines key substantive areas of EU law which may include the four freedoms of the internal market, discrimination law and EU competition law and policy.

• Describe and account for the EU’s current constitutional and institutional structure;
• Identify the principal sources of EU law, explain how EU law is made, and assess the democratic credentials of this law;
• Appraise the significance of Human Rights within the EU order;
• Illustrate how such law becomes part of the national legal order in the United Kingdom, and describe and evaluate the current position on the resolution of conflicts between national law and EU law, focusing on the principle of supremacy;
• Illustrate how EU law may be enforced before both the CJEU and national courts, and provide an appraisal of these mechanisms;
• Account for how judicial oversight and control may be exercised over the EU Institutions;
• Describe and evaluate the law relating to key substantive areas of EU law such as the free movement of goods and services, free movement of persons and discrimination, and EU competition law and policy.

35 x 1 hour lectures
9 x 1 hour tutorials

Intellectual Skills:

Students will be able to:

• Demonstrate skills in relation to analysis, synthesis, critical judgement and evaluation;
• Undertake directed tasks, and plan and undertake tasks requiring a degree of independent research.

Practical Skills:

Students will be able to:

• Independently identify, locate and access relevant EU legal materials, including treaties, legislation, case law, policy documents and academic commentary;
• Where relevant, track the impact of that EU law within the national (UK) legal order;
• Use the specialised terminology of EU law appropriately in both written and oral contexts.  

Transferable Skills:

Students will be able to:

• Communicate orally and in writing with clarity and proficiency;
• Produce word processed work;
• Manage their time effectively;
• Reflect on their own learning.

Summative assessment is in the form of an examination counting for 100% of the module.

Learning is supported through two pieces of formative work required through the year. One, submitted towards the end of semester one will be in the form of an essay, which will require some independent research, and which will assist in reinforcing conceptual knowledge and understanding of topics which will be assessed in the end of year exam. The other will be in the form of a class test towards the end of the second semester, to give students practice in writing to time.  

• History of European Integration and the Constitutional Nature of the EU
• Institutions of the EU
• Sources of EU law
• Law-making procedures
• Competence and subsidiarity
• Human Rights in the EU order
• Enforcement before national courts – the principles of direct effect and supremacy
• The preliminary ruling procedure
• National remedies and State liability
• Direct actions before the CJEU
• General Introduction to the Internal Market
• Free movement of goods
• Free Movement of services and freedom of establishment
• Free movement of persons and discrimination
• EU competition law and policy

Current editions of core texts, eg

Craig, P. & de Burca, G., EU Law: Text, Cases and Materials

Steiner, Woods & Watson, EU Law.

Chalmers, D., Davies, G and Monti, G., European Union Law

Kaczorowska, A., European Union Law.

Up to date copies of Foster, N., Blackstone’s EU Legislation