1. Identify and evaluate key institutions of the European Union.

Knowledge and Understanding, Communication

2. Evaluate substantive law on free movement of persons including citizens’ rights and justifiable limitations.

Knowledge and Understanding, Enquiry, Problem Solving, communication

3. Evaluate substantive law on free movement of goods including limitations provided for in legislation and case law.

Knowledge and Understanding, Enquiry, Problem Solving, Communication

4. Demonstrate an ability to use problem-solving skills to identify and analyse issues of European Union Law in hypothetical situations along with relevant constitutional principles of enforcement.

Knowledge and Understanding, Analysis, Problem Solving, Communication

The assessment will cover all the Learning Outcomes. The assessment consists of a problem question. Problem solving skills will be used to identify and analyse relevant issues of substantive law in hypothetical situations. The question will also require identification and analysis of constitutional principles of enforcement together with appropriate engagement with the functions of relevant institutions.

Main institutions of the European Union; Free Movement of Persons, including Citizens’ rights; Free Movement of Goods; enforcement of European Union Law.

Could you one day be working for a time in an EU Member State? Could you perhaps be employed by a business which is exporting and importing goods to and from EU Member States? You will explore the law on free movement of goods, an important aspect of the substantive law of the European Union. You will examine the institutional framework of the European Union. You will reflect on the power of the European Commission to take a case in the Court of Justice, in Luxembourg, against any state that has infringed EU law. You will develop your problem-solving skills by analysing a range of scenarios concerning the exercise by a variety of family units of their core EU citizenship rights. This module will be of interest to students who wish to have a role with the in-house legal department of a business organisation engaged in international trade. It would also be valuable to any graduate wishing to work in an EU member state for either a law firm or a third sector organisation engaged in advising and supporting citizens of the Union in relation to the exercise of their citizenship rights. The module affords an opportunity to acquire vital insights for any student looking to a career with the UK Mission to the EU, any of the institutions of the EU or any of the other EU bodies such as the European Data Protection Board.

Contact will include a mixture of small and larger group activities, much of it based on the principles of practice and problem-based learning. Learning will be organised into a series of sessions where students will be required to participate. Each session will be based around a problem or issue, and students will work towards a range of solutions by specifying objectives, identifying constraints, obtaining background information, applying related theory and knowledge based around the subject matter.

Large group sessions seek to establish an overview framework within which selected theories and rules of the subject matter can be more effectively developed. They will verify and consolidate knowledge and understanding and will engage in more detailed exposition of selected theories, rules and constraints.

The guided learning will incorporate a mixture of activities, some of which will require group work and electronic interaction. The learning will be facilitated by use of the VLE platform and discussions/interactions between students and tutors.

Students will be expected to be familiar with contemporary discussions in this area of law, and to bring a range of ideas to bear on the discussions. Thus, although there will be a framework of knowledge and understanding, students will be actively, rather than passively, engaged in the process of both learning about, and increasing understanding of, the subject matter.

The module will use a blend of teaching methods to enable different styles of learning to be facilitated. The differing methods will also be a platform for the development of essential skills such as intellectual skills, communication skills and problem solving, as well as research, teamwork, negotiation, presentation, referencing, argument, judgement and appropriate use of IT.

Large Group Sessions

In this module the basic principles of European Union Law will be outlined in a series of whole group sessions.

Smaller Group Activities

The large group sessions will be supplemented by smaller group sessions to examine particular aspects of European Union Law by means of group problem solving activities. A variety of teaching and learning methods will be used to encourage and develop both individual and collaborative learning. Students will be encouraged to present argument and carry out research using electronic resources.

DIRECTED STUDY AND INDEPENDENT LEARNING:
This will consist of preparation for the work to be undertaken in the workshops and also assessment. Students will be provided with guidance in their lecture materials and via Blackboard. A significant amount of on-line guided support will be provided via Blackboard and this will include further reading, research exercises, and on-line collaboration to support workshop preparation. The independent learning activities encourage students to develop a critical understanding of the principles of European Union Law and provide practice in preparation for assessment.

Margot Horspool, Matthew Humphreys and Michael Wells-Greco, European Union Law (11th edn, OUP 2021)

Elspeth Berry, Matthew J. Homewood and Barbara Bogusz, Complete EU Law: Text, Cases, and Materials (5th edn, OUP 2022)

Nigel Foster, Foster on EU Law (8th edn, OUP 2021)

These books are available electronically on Law Trove.

Books:

Noreen O’Meara, Essential Cases: EU Law ( 7th edn, OUP 2023)

Nigel Foster, Blackstone’s EU Treaties and Legislation ( 35th edn, OUP 2024)

John Fairhurst, Sonia Morano-Foadi and Jen Neller, Law of the European Union (13th edn, Pearson 2020)

Journals:
Journal articles, from journals including European Law Review, will be available on one of the databases (below)

Databases:
Law Trove
Westlaw
Lexis+