LAW6216

The European Union establishes the largest market in the world; it is the biggest US trade partner, and the main site of overseas offices of American law firms. This course aims to give students a general introduction to European Union law and politics over the course of the semester. Students should emerge with a thorough understanding of the constitutional and legal structure of the European Union. This course will chart historical and contemporary legal and political developments so that students will be fully cognizant both of the manner in which the European Union has evolved and the challenges that face it now. The course will focus on the following major areas: the institutional and constitutional structure of the Union; the sources of European Union law; the enforcement of Community law; the fundamental economic objectives of the Union with an emphasis on the four fundamental freedoms protected by the Treaty of Rome; and the foreign policy objectives and challenges of the Union.