NIFB14005U EU Law - Environment, Agriculture & Food

Volume 2024/2025
Education

BSc Programme in Environmental and Food Economics
BSc Programme in Natural Resources
MSc Programme in Landscape Architecture
MSc Programme in Nature Management

Content

This course is aimed at non-law students with an interest in the role of the EU in relation to environment, agriculture and/or food. The course provides an introduction to basic EU law. This includes an introduction to the core elements of the EU legal system, EU institutions, decision-making procedures and sources of law. The concept of sovereignty and the relationship between EU law and national law as well as the relationship between EU law and international law will be introduced. This knowledge is a precondition for working with the substantive areas of EU law, including the internal market, the free movement of goods, food and agricultural production as well as environment, climate and nature protection. Examples will as far as possible be drawn from areas such as environment and nature protection, agriculture and food production. This includes ways in which the EU seeks to promote sustainable development. The students will have the opportunity to specialise in EU law matters relevant to e.g. environment, climate, agriculture or food through a mandatory written assignment. 

Learning Outcome

The overall objective of the course is to ensure a good understanding of how the EU legal system works and to understand EU law as an element of a multi-layered legal system in Europe The course aims to make students able to identify and assess relevant EU law aspects of a specific case, including to identify relevant sources of law and their possible interaction with national law and to carry out a legal analysis based on relevant EU legislation and case law.

Knowledge:
- demonstrate knowledge of key EU law concepts and principles
- demonstrate knowledge of core EU institutions and their roles in EU law
- demonstrate knowledge about EU law-making and relevant sources of law
- display insight into the relationship between EU law and national law

Skills:
- ability to identify relevant matters of EU law in a specific case
- ability to carry out a legal analysis applying relevant EU law
- ability to use and assess case law from the European courts
- ability to assess national law and administration in view of EU law

Competencies:
- discuss and co-operate with the purpose to provide well argued and relevant solutions to general and specific EU law issues

Teaching materials will mainly be based on a textbook as well as relevant court rulings etc. The materials will be announced prior to course start.

The course will consist of lectures and relevant student activities, individually or in groups, including exercises based on specific cases and/or case law. The students will present relevant topics. A mandatory small written assignment based on an EU law topic of the students own choice shall be submitted by the end of the course.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 30
  • Preparation
  • 95
  • Theory exercises
  • 20
  • Practical exercises
  • 20
  • Project work
  • 40
  • Exam
  • 1
  • Total
  • 206
Oral
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester

Feedback will be given as part of  the active participation of students in the course, including group work, guidance regarding written assignment, quizzes etc. 

 

Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination, 20 minutter
Type of assessment details
Oral examination (100 %). No time for preparation
Exam registration requirements

Submission of a written assignment. The assignment can be made individually or in groups.

Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Re-exam

Like the ordinary exam.

If the student has not handed in the written assignment, then it must be handed in two weeks prior to the re-exam.

Criteria for exam assesment

To obtain the grade 12 a student must fulfil the learning objectives displaying a high level of command of all aspects, with no or only a few minor weaknesses. This includes the ability to identify and analyse a relevant EU law topic applying relevant sources of EU law, to demonstrate a good understanding of the basic elements of EU law, including key concepts and principles, core EU institutions and their roles in EU law as well as the relationship between EU law and national law.

The oral examination takes the starting point in the submitted written assignment without further preparation. The examination will also include the course curriculum with the purpose for the student to demonstrate the above mentioned competencies.