Master 2020/2021

European Business Law: Understanding the Fundamentals

Type: Elective course (Corporate Law)

Area of studies: Law

Delivered by: School of Legal Regulation of Business

Where: Faculty of Law

When: 1 year, 1 module

Mode of studies: distance learning

Instructors: Aleksandra Kasatkina

Master’s programme: Corporate Lawyer

Language: English

ECTS credits: 3

Contact hours: 2

Course Syllabus

Abstract

The course will give you a thorough understanding of the basics of the European Union, its institutions and its legal framework. It will cover a wide array of topics, ranging from the history of the EU to the constitutional dynamics that govern the relationships between the Union and the Member States. Of course, principal subjects relevant for doing business in Europe, such as the economic freedoms will be dealt with in some detail. The course is divided into five modules, each module representing about one week. Lectures and in-video quizzes are the main method of teaching. In order to give you an overview and ease your learning, we have included a reading for each lecture. In these you will find more in-depth information about the legislation mentioned in the lecture, case law, recommended readings, online sources and more. Each module finishes with a graded quiz. Please note that Module 4 also contains a peer graded assignment in addition to the quiz. https://www.coursera.org/learn/european-law-fundamentals?

Learning Objectives

• The course’s objectives are numerous but its main purpose is to provide students with the necessary tools to understand and analyze the nature, role and effects of EU Law, regulation, proceedings and decision-making. To that end, the first sessions will lay the necessary grounds, that is, introduce historical aspects of the European integration, emergence of EU law, its general principles, main actors and an overview of general institutional design. Largely, half of the course is dedicated to EU Business Law and regulation of various economic aspects, such as EU internal market, EU external economic relations, energy relations, mega-regional integration, and Brexit.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Knowledge and understanding: - demonstrate general knowledge and understanding of basic notions of institutions and actors of European integration, and the role of EU law in that process; - demonstrate extensive knowledge and understanding of policies and principles of EU market and economic integration and its external economic relations, including four market freedoms, EU competition law, EU energy law, mega-regional integration, etc.;
• Skills and abilities: - demonstrate the ability to find, select and evaluate primary and secondary EU law, as well as sources deemed ‘informal’ in a given area; - demonstrate a solid understanding of the European decision-making process, in particular legislative and regulatory framework applicable to all kinds of economic activities in the EU and its external economic relations.

Course Contents

• Introduction to EU law
  This first module will help the learner to build a solid foundation for the coming lectures on EU law. The module provides a brief introduction to the history and the institutions of the EU, as well as the judicial branch, i.e. the Court of Justice of the EU. The module will also go into some detail about the most fundamental EU treaties, namely the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
• Legal Resources
  The second module is slightly different from the rest of the course as it focuses on practical skills on how to deal with the legal sources and method of EU law. It will provide you with some skills that are crucial when dealing with EU law, such as navigating the vast databases of official publications, legislation and case law. Keep in mind that the module can be used as reference if you continue your studies of European Business Law.
• Fundamental Principles and Constitutional Foundations
  In the third module you will learn about the fundamental principles and constitutional foundations of EU law. The dynamic and interaction of the national law of the Member States and the EU will be covered in some detail.
• The Economic Freedoms
  The fourth Module will deal with the economic freedoms. The freedom of movement of capital, services, people and goods is at the very heart of EU law and crucial to understanding the law from a business perspective. While the lectures focus on the free movement of capital, services and goods, the readings will include additional material on the free movement of persons and establishment. This module contains a peer graded assignment in addition to the quiz.
• The External Dimension
  The fifth and last module will deal with the legal framework of the common European foreign policy. This is a complex field where the policies of the individual Member States and the EU overlap and interact. The external dimension is important to understand for anyone considering international trade or relations with the EU.

Assessment Elements

• 5 graded multiple answer quizzes and a peer graded assignment
• interview with the instructor

Interim Assessment

• Interim assessment (1 module)
  0.7 * 5 graded multiple answer quizzes and a peer graded assignment + 0.3 * interview with the instructor

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Engelbrekt, A. B., Michalski, A., Nilsson, N., & Oxelheim, L. (2018). The European Union : Facing the Challenge of Multiple Security Threats. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1797175
• Vlachos, V., & Bitzenis, A. (2019). European Union : Post Crisis Challenges and Prospects for Growth. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=2162421

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Caporaso, J. A. (2018). The European Union : Dilemmas Of Regional Integration. New York: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1704410
• CRISTESCU, A., & TÎLVĂR, G. (2019). The main factors of economic growth in the European Union. Theoretical & Applied Economics, 26(3), 5–20. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=bsu&AN=138993619
• McCormick, J., & Olsen, J. (2018). The European Union : Politics and Policies (Vol. Sixth edition). New York, NY: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1451141