EU Law for Non-Lawyers

This course aims at providing participants with a clear overview of the EU, its structure, regulatory competences and internal procedures.

It will also help them navigate through the jungle of various legal acts that are adopted at the EU level and to gain confidence when reading and analysing EU law-related documents.

In addition, they will receive a systematised knowledge of the EU decision-making process and become familiar with different ways of challenging breaches of EU law before the Court of Justice of the EU.

This three-day course will provide you with a concentrated, in-depth introduction into the legal system of the EU and the most important principles governing the adoption and enforcement of European Union law.

Module 1. The EU legal system and the relationship between EU law and national law

This module studies the repartition of competences of the EU and Member States in the regulation of policy sectors, analyses in detail the typology of EU legal acts adopted at the EU level, and comments on their respective legal force and their impact on state authorities and individuals. Finally, it evokes the fundamental concepts (primacy, direct effect, state liability, etc.) governing the relations between EU and national law, and their practical consequences on the daily work of national magistrates, law enforcers, members of the legislative authorities, etc.

Module 2. Decision-making procedures for the adoption of EU law

This module explores the roles and competences of the institutions (European Commission, Council of the EU and the European Parliament) in the preparation and negotiation of legal instruments which will become binding EU law. It also describes in detail the interaction of these three institutions in the formal procedures for the adoption of EU law (legislative procedures and procedures for the adoption of delegated and implementing acts). Finally, it also sheds light on the informal negotiations in the procedures and on the variety of strategies that non-institutional actors (e.g. interest representation, NGOs, professional federations) can resort to in order to present their own interests throughout the procedures.

Module 3. The EU judicial system and enforcement of EU law

This module firstly depicts the organisation of the judicial space in the EU, clarifying the respective role of the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) and the national jurisdictions in the enforcement of EU legality. Secondly, it describes the structure and competences of the CJEU. Finally, it provides a detailed and practical account of the various procedures which may be brought before the Court of Justice of the European Union by EU institutions, Member States, and natural and legal persons to contest the legality of EU action to prosecute an alleged breach of EU law by a Member State, or to interrogate the Court about the meaning of an EU law provision.

The course will be delivered in face to face format. In order to ensure an enhanced learning outcome for participants, the programme proposes various practical exercises and group discussions, resulting in a high level of dynamism.