Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
European Law
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, Spanish,
Teaching staff
On request, by sending an e-mail.
You can contact Professor Joaquim Llimona at:jllimona@mes-legal.com orjllimona@uic.es . You can contact Professor Ricardo López Hernández at: rlopezh@uic.es
Introduction
Challenges such as climate change and the energy transition, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza present challenges that cannot be met effectively at the level of individual states, such as Italy or Spain, but require action at a European level: as the European Union. The same applies to technological innovations: artificial intelligence and its limits, or cybersecurity. In particular, the European Union must consolidate itself as a more efficient market, without the internal obstacles that still persist, a market that captures European savings and in which it is easier to create businesses.
Since 2025, the new North American administration has caused a profound change in alliance policies and has had a huge impact on trade. In the European Union, the year 2024 was strongly marked by the reports on the single market prepared by Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi and commissioned with the aim of charting a path, not without its difficulties, for Europe to regain its industrial and technological leadership. The year 2025 and what we have of 2026 have been marked by the debate on security, on the concept of strategic autonomy and the need for a common response to the trade measures of the Trump administration. The challenges are formidable.
To the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia has been added the war in Iran, with a precarious peace that gives the impression of a certain victory for the regime. And in this context, the European Union must position itself, without abandoning the practice of 'soft power', as demonstrated by the recent trade agreements with Mercosur and India.
The aim of this course is, on the one hand, to provide the necessary knowledge and debate to understand the role and potential of the European Union, as well as the importance for our countries of being members of this international organisation. On the other hand, for students to understand the professional opportunities offered by membership of the EU and to familiarise themselves with the fundamental elements of this framework.
For this reason, the history and functioning of the organisation are explained: its institutions, its legal order and its budget, as well as its objectives and policies, with a special emphasis on the single market, its reform and its strengthening, taking into account the challenges that currently shape the European agenda. Special attention will be paid to all those EU actions that affect the group of students participating in this course.
Some questions to be answered:
1-. Taking into account your previous training and background, reflect on the impact the European Union has had on your decisions to date and whether you perceive the advantages of belonging to this organisation. Extend this reflection to what you foresee as the culmination of your academic training, firstly, and subsequently as a professional career.
2-. Nowadays, there is a perception that the main challenges and threats we face are global and can only be addressed through international integration. Undoubtedly, among the issues that concern you most in your daily life and activities are:
- Inflation.
- Security and cybersecurity.
- Employment. The professional future.
- Trade
- Climate change.
- Social tensions: societies with little cohesion.
- Artificial intelligence. Digital transition
- Health threats
- Geopolitics: the Russian threat and the Chinese challenge. Iran after the war. The new actors of the Global South.
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In these areas, what do you think is more effective, acting unilaterally like Italy or Spain, or like the EU?
3- Do you know what the advantages of European citizenship are? Can you cite any specific benefit you have obtained from the EU?
Pre-course requirements
Not applicable
Objectives
The course enables the student, firstly, to understand the phenomenon of European integration; and to learn about the historical process that has brought us to where we are today, in order to understand how the European Union works and what it is: its institutions, its legislation and its budget, as well as to learn about its main areas of activity and its achievements. Its shortcomings and its successes. All this with the aim that the student perceives what this European Union means for them as a European citizen.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- 41 - Be able to summarise information descriptively.
- 45 - Be able to work with academic documents.
- 46 - To acquire the ability to understand and participate in academic conferences and congresses.
- 33 - Be able to search for, interpret and convey information.
- 50 – Acquire the ability to relate concepts, analyse and synthesise.
- 53 - Acquire the necessary skills to learn autonomously.
- 56 - Be able to generate arguments that foster critical and self-critical thinking.
- 65 - Acquire the ability to put knowledge into practice.
- 66 – Be able to retrieve and manage information.
Learning outcomes of the subject
- Students will acquire solid knowledge of European integration and the evolution of the institutional system.
- Students will know and understand the rules applicable to European freedoms and the content of those freedoms.
- Students will acquire the necessary skills to understand the impact that European rules have on their university work and on any professional activity they intend to pursue.
- Students will work in mixed teams, integrating people from both universities.
- Students will be more sensitive towards other traditions and cultures.
- Students will understand the global challenges that must be addressed jointly.
- Students will develop sensitivity towards issues related to fundamental rights.
- Students will be able to research, interpret information and use it to solve practical problems related to EU Law.
- Students will acquire skills for autonomous learning
Syllabus
1. What is the European Union?
1.a) History of European integration: from the Treaties of Paris and Rome to the Treaty of Lisbon. Objectives and nature of the European Union.
History of the European integration process to the present day, emphasising the context in which the process began (after the Second World War), the main achievements and crises, the changing global context and its influence on the integration process.
We will also focus on the members of the EU: the enlargements and the recent withdrawal of the United Kingdom, as well as the recent applications for accession from Ukraine and Moldova.
Finally, we will explain the objectives of European integration, the values on which the EU is founded, and its legal nature: an international organisation or a federal structure?
2. EU Instruments.
2.a) The institutions
In these classes, we will first focus on the unique nature of the EU's institutional structure and the fundamental principles governing the relationships between the EU institutions. The composition, functioning and main competences of the Commission, the Council and the European Council, the Parliament and the Court of Justice will be explained. Other institutions and auxiliary bodies will also be analysed.
Students will acquire a knowledge and understanding of the institutions that are fundamental for anyone interested in participating in the EU.
2.b) The legal order of the European Union: EU Law.
The EU is a community of law. To understand it, it is useful to identify the main legal acts: the treaties, or primary law; secondary law (regulations, directives and decisions); international agreements and the general principles of law. It will be explained how European rules are adopted and how companies and sectors can influence their content.
Secondly, it explains how European law is applied to Member States and the EU's legal mechanisms for ensuring that neither Member States nor EU institutions breach EU legislation.
3. Policies, rights and funding.
3.a) Policies.
The main policies of the European Union must be explained, such as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) or regional policy, as well as the policies most relevant to the single market (the accompanying policies).
The euro as a mechanism for improving the functioning of the European single market. The European Central Bank. The financial crisis: the need to strengthen the EU's economic governance.
3.b) Citizenship, rights. Space of justice, freedom and security.
The European Union today goes beyond economic integration and enters political spheres, something its citizens clearly perceive. Today, being a European citizen means enjoying a set of rights and, furthermore, being protected by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Are we aware of our rights? Furthermore, the Council of Europe has worked since its creation to ensure an effective European system for the protection of rights and freedoms, from which we also benefit.
The EU is a space of freedom, with no internal borders. This requires a common policy on international migration, refugees and asylum, as well as the control of external borders. The recent migration crises highlight the sensitivity of these issues.
3.c) The EU budget.
Financial resources, key budget figures and how the money is spent. The 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework.
4. The international and geo-strategic dimension of the EU
The European Union is an international economic power and a staunch advocate of international trade. It is a key player in international economic relations. At the same time, it is an actor in foreign and security policy, facing changing challenges on the international stage, which Europe must be able to respond to from its own position.
The current situation, with the war in Ukraine and the new role of the People's Republic of China, presents the EU with significant and, in a way, unexpected challenges. Strategic autonomy, the response to the global health crisis, energy, inflation. How is the EU reacting? How is it reacting, in particular, to the new policy of the US Administration? Are the United States still a firm ally?
5. Objectives and achievements of European integration.
5a) The European single market: the four fundamental freedoms and the complementary policies: competition law.
The political and historical reasons underlying the single market will be examined, as well as the different legislative instruments for harmonising legislation, mainly in the area of goods, which is the most developed. The main cases through which the Court of Justice has developed some of the concepts included in the treaties, such as 'measures of equivalent effect', will also be studied. We will focus on the advantages that individuals and businesses can obtain from the single market, analysing case studies.
5.b) Current situation of the internal market.
Are we facing a consolidated market or, on the contrary, do significant challenges, areas that need to be further developed, and obstacles to be overcome still exist? Reference to the Letta and Draghi reports.
5.c) The single market: necessary reforms.
The economic potential of the European Union is hampered by persistent obstacles, an excess of regulation and a lack of investment incentives. Following the strategies outlined by Letta and Draghi and adding new priorities.
B-. PRACTICAL SESSIONS. (4 sessions).
In this second block of the course, students will work in groups to analyse, understand and present the theoretical knowledge acquired in the first block, and apply it to real situations or scenarios integrated into their future professional and personal lives.
Priority will be given to topics related to what today constitute the main priorities and perceived challenges for European citizens: economic integration, in particular with the new impetus for the single market, and the content and priorities set out in the Letta and Draghi reports, as well as the shortcomings and necessary reforms.
The aim is to present students with hypotheses that may correspond to situations they could face in the future as they develop their professional careers.
C. COURSE PRESENTATION AND CONCLUSIONS. (2 sessions).
The first session is devoted to explaining the course, its content and objectives, the practical classes and their timetable, the working methodology, the assessment system and any other aspect of the course.
The final session is devoted to answering students' questions, both about the theoretical content and the practical assignments.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
70% of the mark is based on the final examination. To pass the module, a minimum mark of 5 out of 10 is required. Passing the final examination does not guarantee passing the module, as continuous assessment (30%) is also taken into account. Continuous assessment is based on practical cases and on attendance and participation in classes.
Bibliography and resources
There is no single textbook that covers the course content. For each block of the programme, the relevant bibliographic references will be provided. In addition, documents and bibliographic references of particular interest will be uploaded to the virtual campus. The lectures will be delivered with the aid of themed PowerPoint presentations, which will also be distributed.
The official website of the European Union is also recommended as a source of information: https://europa.eu
In addition to the reading list, the lecturer will upload the relevant documents for each block of the syllabus before the session. In most cases, it will be necessary to have read these documents beforehand in order to attend the course.