syllabus
EUROPEAN COMMUNITY LAW
Tuesday & Thursday, 11.00am, Room F 109
COURSE MATERIALS
Course materials will be available from the Distribution Center. In addition, there is a weblog for this course at http://eulaw06.umlaw.net. The weblog will help to structure the course and class discussion and will link to useful resources. You should check the weblog a couple of times each week during the semester. The weblog and course materials together represent the materials for which you are responsible on the exam. As far as the weblog goes this means items posted directly to the blog (you are not required to click through to the links) including comments.
My aim in using my own materials this semester is to make the material we will study more accessible. Studying EC/EU law is a bit like studying all of federal law in the US - as a result it is very complex. The idea of focusing on some particular areas of EC law, such as food law, is to help to make the doctrinal material more manageable. In addition we should be able to focus on more recent materials than those in the published case books, so the material should seem more immediate. This is a work in progress and I would be very grateful for your feedback. Please let me know if you can think of improvements that would help your understanding of the material or even just if there are problems with the materials.
The European Union’s Internet Site is at http://europa.eu.int/index-en.htm.
This is an invaluable source of up to date information on developments in the European Union. You can find useful background and introductory information on this website. The EU’s official documents site is at http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/lex/en/index.htm.
ASSESSMENT:
Your performance in this course will be assessed by means of a three-hour, in-class, closed-book examination.
A prior exam is attached to the hard copy of this handout (ask me if you need another copy). You should be aware, however, that the format of the course will be different this semester from prior semesters, and this means that the format of the exam may be different. But the exam *will* be geared to the course. To the extent that questions on the exam may differ from the type of question in the exam in this handout I will provide sample questions during the semester.
ATTENDANCE
I will take attendance. You are entitled to three unexplained absences from class during the semester. This is not a policy which requires the Dean of Students’ office to certify that your absence was “justified” in order for the absence to count as explained. In order to explain your absence you may visit the Dean of Students’ office and fill out the form or you may send me an email. I reserve the right to lower the grade of anyone who misses more than three classes without informing me of the reason for their absence. If you miss a class please do ask me if you have any questions about the material you missed.
Consistent and useful participation in class may raise your grade. Class participation for this purpose includes useful participation in the weblog through posting of comments, links to relevant materials and questions.
Course Outline
1. Introduction to the EU
2. Food Supplements Directive Case Study
Legislative Powers of the EU and its Institutions
Challenging EU acts in EU and National Courts
Free Movement of Goods
3. Services, Establishment: Lawyering Across Borders
4. Classic Cases
5. Equality Law
European Community Law as a Source of Individual Rights
Features of EC equality law