The course provides an overview of the main legal instruments that are used to achieve European integration: it describes the European legal framework, the different legal tools, their scope, how they have been used in specific areas, the problems arising and the solutions which have been found. The challenge of this course is to provide basic legal knowledge of EU integration techniques by discussing cases and other relevant materials, and by confronting European legal principles with US relevant legal principles. After having understood the basic principles of EU law, students will understand that law is not a static tool, or a set of fixed principles: indeed, on the one side, it may be used, by governments and individuals as a tool to accomplish specific policies or goals; and, on the other side, it may be adapted and changed, as a reaction to the former use, within the limits established by the superior (EU or US) legal order.

The course is divided into five sections:

1. The foundations of EU law and the instruments of European integration. Topics: the four freedoms; hard and soft harmonization; the tools provided by the Treaties; harmonization vs. mutual recognition; the problem of reverse discrimination; the principle of mutual recognition; standardization as a normative technique.

2. The free movement of workers and the establishment of natural and legal persons. Topics: overview on the free movement of workers; the public sector exception; the rights of workers; the exceptions to free movement of workers. Freedom of establishment: notions. Choosing the law: the case of company law.

3. Citizenship: from workers' rights to citizens' rights. Topics: citizenship of the European Union; from workers’ rights to citizens’ rights? The case of social rights; the free movement of third country nationals; migration opportunities and the possibility of “choosing the law”; EU and US integration tools/principles compared.

4. Solidarity in the European Union. Topics: From market rules to solidarity? The federative rules; the meaning of solidarity.

5. The re-emerging State and/or the State as guarantor of last resort? Topics: the retreat of the State; the recent worldwide challenges (Covid-19 pandemic, Ukrainian conflict); the rediscovery of the State.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Teaching

Classes

Innovative teaching methods

Discussion of cases and materials.

Course books

Textbook and readings:

a) Reference textbooks:

- C. Barnard, The Substantive Law of the EU, Oxford, OUP, 5th ed, 2016

- L. Woods - P. Watson - M. Costa, Steiner & Woods EU law, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 13th ed., 2017

b) Main readings:

- K.A. Armstrong, Mutual recognition, in The Law of the Single European Market. Unpacking the Premises, edited by C. Barnard & J. Scott, Oxford, Hart, 2002, pp. 225-267

- M. Gnes, Migration Opportunities in Europe, in Revue européenne de droit public - European review of public law, vol. 21, n. 1, 2009, pp. 35-62

- M. Gnes, European legal integration: new possibilities for EU and non-EU citizens?, in L. Matei (editor), Normativity, fundamental rights and legal order in the EU - Normativité, droits fundamentaux et ordre juridique dans l’UE, Bucharest, Editura Economică, 2010, pp. 29-56

- D.P. Kommers - M. Waelbroeck, Legal integration and the free movement of goods: the American and European experience, in M. Cappelletti - M. Seccombe - J.H.H. Weiler (eds.), Integration through law, vol. 1, book 3, Berlin - New York, De Gruyter, 1986, pp. 165-227

c) Additional readings:

- M. Gnes, Rule of Law and Solidarity in the European Union: The Case of Welfare, in Rule of Law at the Beginning of the Twenty-First Century, ed. by M. Belov, The Hague, Eleven International Publishing, 2018, pp.  223-239;

- M. Gnes, Wars and fights against pandemics: the re-emerging role of the state as guarantor of last resort, in Revue européenne de droit public – European review of public law, vol. 34, n. 1, 2022, pp. 57-74;

- C.M. Tiebout, A pure theory of local expenditures, in Journal of Political Economy, vol. 64, 1956, pp. 416-424

- J.-M. Sun - J. Pelkmans, Regulatory competition in the Single market, in Journal Of Common Market Studies, 1995, vol. 33, pp. 67-89

- K. Gatsios - P. Holmes, Regulatory competition, in P. Newman (edited by), The new Palgrave dictionary of economics and the law, London - New York, Macmillan Reference Ltd - Stockton Press, 1998, vol. 3, pp. 271-275

Assessment

Paper

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.