EU economic law / internal market

general courses

The present course is designed for students of various disciplines interested in legal issues of economic integration. Participants do not have to be law students (although students of law are also welcomed). The classes may be particularly interesting for students of languages who want to acquire English legal and economic terminology. During the classes students become acquainted with major current issues and discussions regarding European economic integration.

Main aims of the course are:

- to provide students with a working knowledge of European Union’s substantive law

- to develop students’ understanding of the methods adopted by the European Union to achieve the goals of economic integration through the Internal Market

- to provide specialist expertise by offering students insights of the cases brought to the European Court of Justice

- to enable students to have an operational understanding of the relationship between commercial, social and political aims of the European Union

Classroom

This course covers all essential aspect of EU substantive law. It explains free movement of goods, persons, services and capital. An introductory lecture outlines background of economic integration up to present day, and the fundamental principles underpinning this development. The following lectures then provide a detailed examination of the law relating to four freedoms and related policies. Concluding lecture deals with the legal issues raised by the ongoing process of harmonization within the internal market.

Throughout the course its central issues are illustrated with the reference to the cases brought to the European Court of Justice.

Course outline:

1. Introduction

2. Free movement of goods

a. Customs duties and charges having equivalent effect

b. Internal taxation

c. Quantitative restrictions and measures having equivalent effect

d. Intellectual property and free movement of goods

3. Free movement of persons and services

a. Free movement of workers

b. Right of establishment

c. Freedom to provide services

d. Freedom to receive services

e. Derogations, limitations and conditions of all above

f. Union citizenship and treatment of third country nationals

4. Free movement of capital

5. Competition policy

a. Rules applicable to undertakings

b. Rules applicable to states

6. Common commercial policy

7. Consumers protection

8. Regulating the internal market

9. Conclusions

Student's workload

lecture - 15 hrs

reading in foreign language - 60 hrs

preparation to the lecture - 30 hrs

preparation to the exam - 75 hrs

total - 180 hrs

A course pack will be made available for the students containing several chapters from textbooks and some journal articles from primary literature related to the course.

Core texts:

C. Barnard: The substantive law of the EU: the four freedoms, Oxford University Press, 2007.

All texts are available at the library of the Centre for Europe (Warsaw University) located at Al. Niepodległości 22.

After completion of the learning process, the student:

1. recognizes the provisions of the European economic law

2. describes the functions and main principles of European economic law

3. draws a distinction between the provisions of state and facing facing businesses

4. subjects to a critical analysis of the functioning of the law in practice and their impact on businesses and individuals

5. assess the impact of application of the rules on the operation of enterprises and individuals (direct effect)

6. interprets European law as interpreted by EU courts

The basis for assessment is prepared essay on the topic given by the teacher and the assessment of the activity in the classroom.