European Law I: EU/EEA Institutions and Sources of EU/EEA Law.

 -This course is in collaboration with Faculty of Law.

This draft is subject to change if necessary at a later stage. There will, however, be no major substantive changes.

Course duration: 2 September – 20 November.

Assessment:
26 October: Essay due at 12 00, (50%)
20 November: Home exam – six hours written exam at the end of course (50%)

Students need to get 5 to pass the course and do need to pass each Assignment with 5.
It is also possible to complete the course with confirmed participation.

Pls. note that in some cases there will be some readings for Icelandic students.

Teaching method: Lectures will be recorded beforehand. Lectures will be found on Canvas and lectures recorded beforehand will be distributed in due course, usually a few days before discussion session. Discussion sessions will be held regarding those lectures that are recorded beforehand. They will normally be one hour  and will not be in the form of a lecture and students are expected to be prepared for discussions. The discussion sessions are demanding and require effective participation of students. Good preparation is therefore necessary, including watching the lectures and reading the mandatory materials.

Discussion sessions will not be recorded to facilitate lively debate and students can participate in person or online through zoom or Teams. Students are asked to indicate attendance in discussion sessions in Canvas. Zoom or Teams will be the preferred medium for the distance learning discussion classes and zoom link will be found on Canvas.

Course description:
This course covers the establishment, development and constitutional basis of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) with emphasis on their main institutions and structure. Current and historical development of European co-operation and integration is addressed, and the constitutive treaties for EU and EEA are examined. EU and EEA law will be discussed including the sources and general principles of EU law; the concepts of direct applicability and direct effect and supremacy and state liability. Division of competences within the EU, and the role of the main institutions of the EU, i.e. the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission will be analysed, as well as the comparable organs of EFTA and the EEA. EU law making, the incorporation of EU and EEA legislation into national law will be discussed whilst taking into account relevant differences between the EU and the EEA.

Learning Outcomes:
On completion of the course, a student:

• understands the EU and EEA in both contemporary and historical context.
• can find and interpret the sources of EU and EEA law.
• can describe the principal institutions of the EU and EEA.
• understands and can explain the legislative process of EU and EEA law.
• can apply key principles, including direct applicability, direct effect and supremacy of EU law.

Readings:
Mandatory reading is Foster on EU law.

Mandatory reading for all students:
Nigel Foster, Foster on EU law, Oxford University Press, 7th edition 2019. Pls note that students can use 6th edition, 2017, if needed.

Also for Icelandic students:
Mandatory reading:
Sigurður Líndal og Skúli Magnússon, Réttarkerfi Evrópusambandsins og Evrópska efnahagssvæðisins, Hið íslenska bókmenntafélag, Reykjavík 2011.
Margrét Einarsdóttir: “Forgangsáhrif réttilega innleiddra EES-reglna”, Tímarit Lögréttu, 7. árg. nr. 1, 2010, http://timarit.logretta.is/article/view/1661/pdf_33

Non mandatory reading:
Stefán Már Stefánsson: Evrópusambandið og Evrópska Efnahagssvæðið, Bókaútgáfa Orators, 2000.
Davíð Þór Björgvinsson: EES-réttur og landsréttur. Codex, 2006.
Handbók stjórnarráðsins um EES, utanríkisráðuneytið 2003.
Maria Elvira Mendez Pinedo. EC and EEA Law. Cambridge University Press, 2015.

Overseas students and Icelandic students:
Mandatory reading:
The Basic Features of the EEA Agreement:
http://www.efta.int/sites/default/files/documents/eea/1112099_basic_features_of_the_EEA_Agreement.pdf
European Economic Area – EEA Extending the Internal Market of the EU to Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein
https://www.efta.int/sites/default/files/publications/fact-sheets/General-EFTA-fact-sheets/efta-at-a-glance-september-2016.pdf
https://www.efta.int/sites/default/files/documents/eea/eea-institutions/The-Two-Pillar-Structure-Surveillance-and-Judicial-Control.pdf
https://www.efta.int/sites/default/files/documents/eea/1113623-How-EU-acts-become-EEA-acts.pdf

Non mandatory reading:
Maria Elvira Mendez Pinedo. EC and EEA Law. Cambridge University Press, 2015.

Useful websites:
EU:
Main website of the EU
https://europa.eu/european-union/index_en

EU institutions:
https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/institutions-bodies_en

EEA/EFTA:
www.efta.int
www.eftasurv.int
www.eftacourt.lu

EUR-lex and EEA –lex:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/homepage.html
http://www.efta.int/eea-lex

Treaties and Agreements:

European Union:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/collection/eu-law/treaties/treaties-force.html
Treaty of Lisbon:

1. Treaty on the European Union
2. Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A12007L%2FTXT

         Maastricht Treaty, 1992:

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:11992M/TXT&from=EN

European Economic Area (EEA)
EEA Agreement
http://www.efta.int/media/documents/legal-texts/eea/the-eea-agreement/Main%20Text%20of%20the%20Agreement/EEAagreement.pdf

EFTA Convention
http://www.efta.int/legal-texts/efta-convention
Surveillance and Court Agreement
http://www.efta.int/legal-texts/the-surveillance-and-court-agreement

TEACHING SCHEDUELE

WEEK I        
Wednesday 2 September       Introduction to the course – REÞ and AN      

WEEK II
Wednesday 9 September        Discussion session (AN)
European Union, history and constitutional basis. The deepening of the EU. EU enlargement.  

Readings:

• Foster, Chapter 1.

Also:

• Þróun í samlögun Evrópuríkja: sögulegt yfirlit

https://www.stjornarradid.is/media/utanrikisraduneyti-media/media/Skyrslur/1kafli.pdf

• How the European Union works – European Parliament information:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/factsheets/en/chapter/209/how-the-european-union-works

• The Enlargement of the Union

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/factsheets/en/section/207/the-union-s-enlargement-and-neighbourhood

• Treaty of Amsterdam

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/treaty/pdf/amst-en.pdf

Week III – EU institutions
Wednesday 16 September                 Discussion session (REÞ)

1. EU Institutional framework, the Commission, the Council, the European Council, the European Parliament, the Court of Justice and Union Advisory Bodies. 
2. Transfer of Powers and Union Competences.

Readings

• Foster, Chapter 2 and 3.
• Sigurður og Skúli bls. 1-47 and 89-132, 115-121, 147-162.

Also:

• The European Free Trade Association (mandatory):

http://www.efta.int/about-efta/european-free-trade-association

• 40th Anniversary of EFTA, history (mandatory):

http://www.efta.int/sites/default/files/publications/efta-commemorative-publications/40th-anniversary.pdf, p. 23-41

• European Economic Area, 1994-2009:

http://eftadev.devcloud.acquia-sites.com/sites/default/files/publications/efta-commemorative-publications/eea15.pdf

• Two pillar structure:

http://www.efta.int/sites/default/files/documents/eea/1112099_basic_features_of_the_EEA_Agreement.pdf

Week IV-V EEA institutions
Wednesday 23 September                 Discussion session (REÞ)

1. EEA and EFTA, history and creation.
2. EEA Agreement and Institutions, two pillar structure.

Readings

• Foster, Chapter 2 and 3.
• Sigurður og Skúli bls. 1-47 and 89-132, 115-121, 147-162.

Also:

• The European Free Trade Association (mandatory):

http://www.efta.int/about-efta/european-free-trade-association

• 40th Anniversary of EFTA, history (mandatory):

http://www.efta.int/sites/default/files/publications/efta-commemorative-publications/40th-anniversary.pdf, p. 23-41

• European Economic Area, 1994-2009:

http://eftadev.devcloud.acquia-sites.com/sites/default/files/publications/efta-commemorative-publications/eea15.pdf

• Two pillar structure:

http://www.efta.int/sites/default/files/documents/eea/1112099_basic_features_of_the_EEA_Agreement.pdf

WEEK IV-V – INTENSIVE WEEK (Mandatory attendance)
24  September             8:30- 11 Problem solving, case studies (REÞ)

WEEK VI
Wednesday 30 September                  Discussion session (REÞ)

1. Sources of EU and EEA law. Law-making procedures within the EU.

Readings:

• Foster, Chapters 4, 5 and 6.
• Sigurður og Skúli, bls. 49-87, 133-146, 163-183,

Also for Icelandic students (not mandatory):
Handbók Stjórnarráðsins um EES:
https://www.stjornarradid.is/media/utanrikisraduneyti-media/media/utgafa/handbokees.pdf

WEEK VII
Wednesday 7 October                        Discussion session (REÞ)

1. The Supremacy of EU law, direct applicability and direct effects, state liability

Readings:

• Foster, Chapters 4, 5 and 6.
• Sigurður og Skúli, bls. 49-87, 133-146, 163-183,

Also for Icelandic students (not mandatory):
Handbók Stjórnarráðsins um EES:
https://www.stjornarradid.is/media/utanrikisraduneyti-media/media/utgafa/handbokees.pdf

WEEK VII
Wednesday 14 October                      Discussion session (REÞ)
Human rights in the EU and European Convention on Human rights

• Foster, p. 109-113, EU accession to the ECHR: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2017/607298/EPRS_BRI(2017)607298_EN.pdfCharter of Fundamental rights of the European Union: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/charter/pdf/text_en.pdf
• Walter Kalin: “The EEA Agreement and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights”, European Journal of International Law, Volume 3 Issue 2, 1 August 1992, pp 341-353,
• http://www.ejil.org/pdfs/3/2/2044.pdf

WEEK VIII
Wednesday 21  October                     Discussion session (REÞ)
Introduction to the EU internal market and the four freedoms and substantive scope of the EEA (REÞ):

• Sigurður og Skúli, bls. 115-132
• The basic features of the EEA Agreement:

http://www.efta.int/eea/eea-agreement/eea-basic-features#1
http://www.efta.int/eea/eea-agreement

• The internal market: general principles:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/atyourservice/en/displayFtu.html?ftuId=FTU_3.1.1.html

• The European single market:

https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market_en

• The European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland and the North:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/atyourservice/en/displayFtu.html?ftuId=FTU_6.5.3.html

WEEK IX
Wednesday 28 October                      Discussion session (REÞ)

Compliance and enforcement of EU and EEA law:  role of the European Commission, the European Court of Justice, the EFTA – Surveillance Authority and the EFTA Court

Readings:

• Foster, Chapter 7
• Sigurður og Skúli, bls. 147-162

https://www.efta.int/eea/eea-agreement/eea-basic-features#6

WEEK X
Study week

WEEK XI
Wednesday 11 November                  Discussion session. (AN)
Current developments within the EU and Brexit. EU and Arctic policy.

Readings

• Foster, p. 155-157.
• See https://ec.europa.eu/commission/brexit-negotiations_en, http://eeas.europa.eu/archives/docs/arctic_region/docs/160427_joint-communication-an-integrated-european-union-policy-for-the-arctic_en.pdf

Further readings will be provided by the teacher.

WEEK XII – INTENSIVE WEEK (Mandatory attendance)
18  November 8:30- 11           Problem solving, case studies (REÞ)

20 November
TAKE HOME EXAM (6 HOURS)

Teachers: Ragnheiður Elfa Þorsteinsdóttir (REÞ), ret@unak.is (Principal Teacher), Antje Neumann, lecturer, antje@unak.is.

75.000 Kr.