Admission requirements
Bachelor degree in law (or similar; see the general requirements for the Master European Law) and sufficient knowledge in English. Students are strongly advised to follow an EU law introductory course before enrolling in this course.
Description
This course examines the legal foundations, objectives and key features of the European Union’s (EU) external relations based on an analysis of the relevant provisions from the EU Treaties, case law of the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU), and other relevant materials. The course explores, inter alia, the institutional architecture of EU external action, the "vertical" relationship between the EU and its Member States, the Union’s treaty-making powers, the interrelationship between the EU and international law, as well as selected EU external policies such as trade and foreign and security policy.
Course objectives
This course will allow the students to gain a solid understanding of the importance, scope and progressive constitutionalization of the EU’s external action and the role of the EU as an actor in various domains of international affairs.
After this course, the student is able to:
Explain the key features of EU external relations law, including its constitutional nature and the specificity of the EU as an international actor;
Understand the interplay between EU and international law and grasp the place of international law in the EU’s legal order;
Analyse and construct legal arguments using the relevant provisions of EU primary and secondary law, and case law, that govern various aspects of EU external relations;
Provide a critical analysis of the CJEU’s case law in light of relevant strands of EU legal scholarship in the area of external relations;
Develop a capacity for critical thinking and analysis on key aspects of the law of EU external relations in their political context and considering their policy implications (e.g. treaty-making, treaty-execution, scope of external action, importance of democratic values etc.).
Timetable
Check MyTimetable.
Mode of instruction
Lectures
Number of lectures (2 hours each): 5
Names of lecturers: Dr. J.E. Larik
Required preparation by students: reading of materials prescribed on Brightspace
Seminars
Number of seminars (2 hours each): 5
Names of instructors: Dr. J.E. Larik
Required preparation by students: reading of materials prescribed on Brightspace
Assessment method
Examination form(s)
A written exam, counting for 75% towards the final grade.
A mandatory written assignment, counting for 25% towards the final grade.
Students who fail the written exam are entitled to a re-sit examination. Depending on the number of students failing the exam, the re-sit may take the form of a written or oral exam. The 25% grade for the practical assignment will remain valid for the re-sit. If you have not passed the course by the end of the academic year, partial grades for the exam or practical assignment are no longer valid.
Areas to be tested within the exam
The examination syllabus consists of the required reading (literature) for the course, the course information guide and the subjects taught in the lectures, the seminars, and all other instructions which are part of the course.
Regulation retake passed exams
In this course it is possible to retake an exam that has been passed (cf. art. 4.1.8 and further of the Course and Examination Regulations). Students who have passed the exam may retake the final written assessment (test) of the course if they meet certain requirements. For more information, go to the website > ‘Law’ tab > ‘Retake a passed exam’.
Reading list
Obligatory course materials
Literature:
- Ramses Wessel and Joris Larik (eds), EU External Relations Law: Text, Cases and Materials (2nd edition, Hart Publishing, 2020).
Course information guide:
- Course information will be made available on Brightspace.
Reader:
- Reader will be made available on Brightspace.
Registration
Registration for courses and exams takes place via MyStudymap. If you do not have access to MyStudymap (guest students), look here (under the Law-tab) for more information on the registration procedure in your situation.
Contact
Coordinator: Dr. Joris Larik
Email: j.e.larik@luc.leidenuniv.nl
Telephone number: 071 527 3596 (secretariat)
Institution/division
Institute: Public Law
Department: European Law
Room number secretariat: KOG B1.11
Opening hours: 09.00-17.00
Telephone number secretary: 071 527 3596