Admission requirements
Required:
- Structure and Functioning of the EU
Recommended:
Constitutions and Constitutionalism and/or
Comparative Legal and Economic Integration
Description
Who has the power to declare war? Who decides which countries receive development aid? Which ones gets hit with sanctions; which ones receive arms? Who represents you at the UN? How many members of parliament are needed to ratify a new treaty; and how many to block it? In particular, how do the European Union and its Member States organize their relations with the rest of the world?
These are all legal questions—with an undoubtedly politically sensitive dimension—that are answered by a body of law called (Comparative) Foreign Relations Law. The latter is the set legal norms that regulate a polity’s relations and interactions with the outside world. It is closely related to, but distinct from, international law. In some cases, these rules may even require non-compliance with international obligations. Foreign Relations Law includes matters such as external representation, treaty-making powers, war powers, engaging with international institutions, federalism, as well as the role of the different branches of government regarding each of these issues.
Every country has its own foreign relations law, but also supranational and international organizations have rules on their relations with the rest of the world, albeit their ability to act independently from their respective member states varies. The course explores a select number of salient substantive issues of Foreign Relations Law. While using examples from different jurisdictions around the world, the course will put a focus on the European Union.
Course Objectives
Knowledge:
Goal 1: Explain the main issues, features, concepts, and legal principles of foreign relations law, including EU external relations law
Goal 2: Describe the relationship and differences between international law and a polity’s foreign relations law.
Skills:
Goal 3: Compare different national frameworks of foreign relations law as well as those of supranational organizations such as the EU;
Goal 4: Interpret and analyze legal texts and judgments (primary sources) in the field of foreign relations law, drawing on scholarly literature (secondary sources);
Goal 5: Apply legal research, writing, argumentation, and presentation skills in the framework of a case problem.
Timetable
Timetables for courses offered at Leiden University College in 2025-2026 will be published on this page of the e-Prospectus.
Mode of instruction
The course uses a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, student presentations, class discussion, debate, a wriiten exam, and an interactive, student-led moot court. Teaching materials include primary sources (legal texts and judgments), secondary readings, and a moot court case.
Assessment Method
General participation; Goals 1, 2, 3, and 4 (10%)
Student presentations and debate moderation; Goals 3 and 4 (17%)
Mid-term exam; Goals 1 and 2 (30%) (week 4)
Moot court; Goal 5
- 5% for preliminary analysis (week 5)
- 19% for written pleadings (week 7)
- 19% for oral pleadings (week 8)
Reading list
Compulsory course textbook:
- Ramses Wessel and Joris Larik (eds), EU External Relations Law: Text, Cases and Materials (3rd edition, Hart Publishing, 2026)
Course textbook available online via Leiden Library:
- Curtis Bradley, Oxford Handbook of Comparative Foreign Relations Law (Oxford University Press 2019)
Generally recommended readings and research resources:
Narin Idriz, Eva Kassoti and Joris Larik (eds), The Legal Implications of the EU’s Geopolitical Awakening, CLEER Working Paper 2025/1
Federico Fabbrini, The EU Constitution in Time of War: Legal Responses to Russia’s Aggression Against Ukraine (Oxford University Press, 2025)
Curtis Bradley, Historical Gloss and Foreign Affairs: Constitutional Authority in Practice (Harvard University Press, 2024)
Curtis Bradely, Ashley Deeks and Jack Goldsmith, Foreign Relations Law: Cases and Materials (8th edition, Aspen Publishing, 2024)
Thomas Verellen, Foreign Relations Federalism: The EU in Comparative Perspective (Oxford University Press 2023)
Kevin Cope, Pierre-Hugues Verdier and Mila Versteeg, ‘The Global Evolution of Foreign Relations Law’ (2022) 116 American Journal of International Law 1
Graham Butler and Ramses Wessel (eds), EU External Relations Law: The Cases in Context (Hart Publishing, 2022)
Wybe Douma, C. Eckes et al. (eds), The Evolving Nature of EU External Relations Law (T.M.C. Asser Press, 2021)
Jed Odermatt, International Law and the European Union (Oxford University Press 2021)
Ramses Wessel and Jed Odermatt (eds), Research Handbook on the European Union and International Organizations (Edward Elgar 2019)
Campbell McLachlan, Foreign Relations Law (Oxford University Press, 2016)
Joris Larik, Foreign Policy Objectives in European Constitutional Law (Oxford University Press, 2016)
Marise Cremona and Anne Thies (eds), The European Court of Justice and External Relations Law: Constitutional Challenges (Hart Publishing, 2014)
Robert Schütze, Foreign Affairs and the EU Constitution: Selected Essays (Cambridge University Press, 2014)
Andreas van Arnault (ed), Europäische Außenbeziehungen (Nomos, 2014)
Eleftheria Neframi, L’action extérieure de l‘Union européenne: fondements, moyens, principes (L.G.D.J., 2010)
Links to compulsory readings and additional reading recommendations will be provided on Brightspace.
Registration
Courses offered at Leiden University College (LUC) are usually only open to LUC students and LUC exchange students. Leiden University students who participate in one of the university’s Honours tracks or programmes may register for one LUC course, if availability permits. Registration is coordinated by the Education Coordinator, course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl.
Contact
Dr. Joris Larik, j.e.larik@luc.leidenuniv.nl
Remarks
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