International Relations Law of the European Union

Vorlesung im Schwerpunktbereich Nr. 7 „Internationales und Europäisches Recht“

Sommersemester 2024; 2 SWS. Mittwoch 8.15-9.45 Uhr, Raum C336.

Beschreibung

Die Vorlesung in englischer Sprache richtet sich an Studierende des Schwerpunktbereichs Nr. 7 sowie der Austauschprogramme Erasmus/LL.M. des Fachbereichs Rechtswissenschaft. Bei vorhandenen Vorkenntnissen im Europarecht sowie regelmäßig auch Grundkenntnissen des Völkerrechts können Studierende anderer Fachbereiche unter Einschluss von Politik & Verwaltung mitwirken; ohne Vorkenntnisse im Europarecht ist das nicht möglich, weil es sich um eine fortgeschrittene Vorlesung handelt, die auf Anfängervorlesungen aufbaut. Vermittelt werden die rechtlichen Grundlagen der EU-Außenpolitik von der rechtlich-institutionellen Infrastruktur bis hin zur Ausgestaltung einzelner Politiken. Zugleich bezweckt die Vorlesung fachspezifische Erfahrungen mit der englischen Sprache, die eine jede Diskussionen über internationale Themen prägt.

Im ersten Abschnitt vertieft die Vorlesung bereichsspezifische Grundfragen des Europa- und Völkerrechts. In Fortführung der Pflichtvorlesungen geht es um Kompetenzen, Institutionen, Rechtsquellen sowie die Rechtswirkungen des Völkerrechts im Unionsrecht. Es folgen im zweiten und dritten Abschnitt ausgewählte Sachpolitiken unter Einschluss der Außenhandelspolitik sowie der Sicherheits- und Verteidigungspolitik. Diese verdeutlichen die Bandbreite des auswärtigen EU-Handelns, das für die Rechts- und Politikpraxis inzwischen viel wichtiger ist als die Vertragsschlusstätigkeit der Bundesrepublik aufgrund von Art. 59 GG. Zur Vermittlung fachspezifischer Englischkenntnisse beteiligen sich alle Studierende mit einem max. 8-minütigem Kurzvortrag zu einem selbst gewählten Sachthema als Training für  die rhetorischen und sprachlichen Fertigkeiten. Hierfür gibt es bei Bedarf einen Fremdsprachenschein. Der freie mündliche Vortrag trainiert die rhetorischen und sprachlichen Fertigkeiten.

Separate Noten werden für Studierende des Schwerpunkts Nr. 7 nicht vergeben; die mündliche Prüfung findet separat statt und betrifft den ganzen Schwerpunkt. Darüber hinaus geht es um Selbstbewusstsein im Umgang mit englischer Fachsprache. Die mündliche Prüfungsleistung für die Teilnehmenden anderer Studiengänge umfasst den mündlichen Vortrag sowie eine mündliche Prüfung; eine schriftliche Prüfungsoption als Klausur oder Hausarbeit besteht nicht. Für die mündlichen Prüfungen ist eine Anmeldung erforderlich. Mit dem Professor muss bis Mitte Mai in der Vorlesung mündlich ein Thema vereinbart sein. Zusätzlich muss man sich bei ZEUS die Prüfungsleistung anmelden, was jedoch die Vereinbarung des Themas mit dem Professor in der Vorlesung nicht ersetzt.

Course Outline: Download.

Presentations – Rules and Themes: Download.

English Vocabulary: Download.

Power Point Presentation – Introduction/Evolution: Download.

Presentations – Names: Download.

Course Materials

Legal Texts

Each participant should have a German or English language edition of the EU Treaties and basic public international law instruments. My recommendations are:

Völker- und Europarecht, edited by Rolf Schwartmann, 12. Auflage (C.F. Müller, 2022).

A consolidated English language version of the EU Treaty, the TFEU and the Charter of Fundamental Rights can be found on the Europa website. All legislation may be downloaded electronically from the EUR-Lex-Homepage. The European External Action Service (EEAS) provides the general public with a database of international agreements concluded by the European Union. 

Textbooks (EU External Relations)

Note: ALL these textbooks are too specific for the purposes of our course or do not sufficiently cover legal issues. I recommend the materials referred to in the general sections for each week in the course outline below instead (these course-specific recommendations include chapters from some of the textbooks mentioned below). PDF files of the reading recommendations will be uploaded over the next two or three weeks; it will be made available via ILIAS.

The extensive reading list serves as supporting material for preparing the presentation and for learning the legal substance. As far as the letter is concerned, the exam will be confined to themes discussed in the lecture—no other topics that may be mentioned in the textbooks. As always, the powerpoint slides help students to identify the themes discussed. However, they are not usually sufficient to study the topics. Textbooks and other material should be consulted when doing so.

Henri de Waele, Legal Dynamics of EU External Relations. Dissecting a Layered Global Player, 3rd edn (Springer, 2023).

Christopher Hill/Michael Smith/Sophie Vanhoonacker-Kormoss (eds), International Relations and the European Union, 4th edn (OUP, 2023): 45.00 £.

Jan Wouters/Frank Hoffmeister/Geert De Baere/Thomas Ramopoulos, The Law of EU External Relations. Cases, Materials, and Commentary on the EU as an International Legal Actor, 3rd edition (OUP, 2021): 65.00 £ (available online within the university network).

Ramses A. Wessel/Joris Larik (eds), EU External Relations Law. Text, Cases and Materials, 2nd edn (Hart, 2020): 44.99 £.

Panos Koutrakos, EU International Relations Law, 2nd edn (Hart, 2015): 43.99 £.

Piet Eeckhout, External Relations of the European Union, 2nd edn (OUP, 2011): 47.49 £.

Textbooks (General EU Law)

Craig, Paul/de Búrca, Gráinne: EU Law. Text, Cases and Materials, 7th edn (OUP, 2020): 44.99 £.

Chalmers, Damian/Davies, Gareth/Monti, Giorgio: European Union Law. Text and Materials, 4th edn (CUP, 2019): 43.99 £.

Textbooks (General Articles)

Geert De Baere, ‘EU External Action’, in: Steve Peers/Catherine Barnard (eds), European Union Law, 4th edn (OUP, 2023), chapter 26.

Till Müller-Ibold, ‘Das Recht der Außenbeziehungen’, in: Armin Hatje/Peter-Christian Müller-Graff (eds), Enzyklopädie Europarecht. Europäisches Organisations- und Verfassungsrecht, 2nd edn (Nomos, 2022), § 12.

Marise Cremona, ‘External Relations of the European Union’, in: Paul Craig/Gráinne de Búrca (eds), The Evolution of EU Law, 3rd edn (OUP, 2021), p. 431-479.

Daniel Thym, ‘Foreign Affairs’, in: Armin von Bogdandy/Jürgen Bast (eds), Principles of European Constitutional Law, 2nd edn (Hart, 2009), pp. 309–343.

Daniel Thym, ‘Auswärtige Gewalt’, in: Armin von Bogdandy/Jürgen Bast (eds), Europäisches Verfassungsrecht, 2nd edn (Springer, 2009), pp. 441–488 (= German version).

Essential Internet Resources

European External Action Service.

Common Commercial Policy.

Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement; International Partnership (Development).

Auswärtiges Amt; Quai d’Orsay; Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

Express and Implied Competences

P. Craig/G. de Búrca, EU Law. Text, Cases and Materials, 7th edn (OUP, 2020), § 10.1-3.

A. Ott, ‘EU External Competence’, in: R. Wessel/J. Larik (eds), EU External Relations Law, 2nd edn (Hart, 2020), p. 61-100.

T. Oppermann/C.D. Classen/M. Nettesheim, Europarecht, 9th edn (C.H. Beck, 2021), § 38.

T. Müller-Ibold, ‘Das Recht der Außenbeziehungen’, in: Armin Hatje/Peter-Christian Müller-Graff (eds), Enzyklopädie Europarecht. Europäisches Organisations- und Verfassungsrecht, 2nd edn (Nomos, 2022), § 12 paras 145-171.

M. Cremona, ‘External Relations of the European Union’, in: Paul Craig/Gráinne de Búrca (eds), The Evolution of EU Law, 3rd edn (OUP, 2021), p. 431 at 433-445 & 453-466: extensive description; participants are NOT expected to know all the details.

D. Thym, ‘Foreign Affairs’, in: Armin von Bogdandy/Jürgen Bast (eds), Principles of European Constitutional Law, 2nd edn (Hart, 2009), p. 309 at 316-320.

Power Point Presentation – Competences: Download.

Institutional Prerogatives & International Agreements

P. Craig/G. de Búrca, EU Law. Text, Cases and Materials, 7th edn (OUP, 2020), § 10.6.

T. Oppermann/C.D. Classen/M. Nettesheim, Europarecht, 9th edn (C.H. Beck, 2021), § 38.

T. Müller-Ibold, ‘Das Recht der Außenbeziehungen’, in: Armin Hatje/Peter-Christian Müller-Graff (eds), Enzyklopädie Europarecht. Europäisches Organisations- und Verfassungsrecht, 2nd edn (Nomos, 2022), § 12 paras 197-245.

J. Wouters/T. Ramopoulos, ‘The Institutional Structure’, in: Takis Tridimas/Robert Schütze (eds), The Oxford Principles of European Union Law, Vol. I (OUP, 2018), p. 1067-1109.

Materials

Consult the Treaties Office Database for an overview of the scope and breadth of bilateral agreements concluded with third states.

Power Point Presentation: Download.

Status of International Law

P. Craig/G. de Búrca, EU Law. Text, Cases and Materials, 7th edn (OUP, 2020), § 10.7-9.

R. Wessel, ‘The EU and International Law’, in: R. Wessel/J. Larik (eds), EU External Relations Law, 2nd edn (Hart, 2020), p. 139-174.

J. Wouters/F. Hoffmeister/G. De Baere/T. Ramopoulos, The Law of EU External Relations. Cases, Materials, and Commentary on the EU as an International Legal Actor, 3rd edition (OUP, 2021), ch. 11.

Marise Cremona, ‘External Relations of the European Union’, in: Paul Craig/Gráinne de Búrca (eds), The Evolution of EU Law, 3rd edn (OUP, 2021), p. 431 at 445-452.

Power Point Presentation: Download.

Mixed Agreements, Membership in International Organisations

K. von der Decken, ‘Beziehungen zu Drittstaaten und internationalen Organisationen’, in: Andreas von Arnauld (ed), Enzyklopädie Europarecht, Vol. XII, 2^nd edn (Nomos, 2022), § 8 (overview).

J. Heliskoski, ‘Mixed Agreements’, in: Takis Tridimas/Robert Schütze (eds), The Oxford Principles of European Union Law, Vol. I (OUP, 2018), p. 1174-1207 (overview).

Materials

European Union@United Nations.

UN General Assembly: Participation of the European Union in the work of the United Nations, Res. A/65/276 of 10 May 2011.

Power Point Presentation: Download.

Common Foreign, Security & Defence Policy

H. de Waele, Legal Dynamics of EU External Relations, 3rd edn (Springer, 2023), chapters 2 & 3.

J. Howorth, ‘The EU’s Security and Defence Policy: A New Leap Forward?’, in: Christopher Hill/Michael Smith/Sophie Vanhoonacker-Kormoss (eds), International Relations and the European Union, 4th edn (OUP, 2023), ch. 14.

R. Wessel, ‘Common Foreign, Security and Defence Policy’, in: R. Wessel/J. Larik (eds), EU External Relations Law, 2nd edn (Hart, 2020), p. 283-326.

T. Oppermann/C.D. Classen/M. Nettesheim, Europarecht, 9th edn (C.H. Beck, 2021), § 39.

D. Thym, ‘Foreign Affairs’, in: Armin von Bogdandy/Jürgen Bast (eds), Principles of European Constitutional Law, 2nd edn (Hart, 2009), p. 309 at 330-338.

Materials

European External Action Service.

‘Global Strategy for the European Union’s Foreign and Security Policy’, June 2016.

‘A Strategic Compass for Security and Defence’, Council doc. 7371/22 of 21 March 2022.

Ongoing and former military and civil CSDP operations.

European Defence Agency. Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD). Council Decision (CFSP) 2017/2315 establishing Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) (OJ 2017 L 331/57), with later amendments. Regulation (EU) 2021/697 establishing the European Defence Fund (OJ 2021 L 170/149), with later amendments. Decision (CFSP) 2021/509 establishing a European Peace Facility (OJ 2021 L 102/14), with later amendments.

Auslandseinsätze der Bundeswehr.

Power Point Presentation: CFSP – Download.

Power Point Presentation: CSDP – Download.

Association & Neighbourhood

H. de Waele, Legal Dynamics of EU External Relations, 3rd edn (Springer, 2023), ch. 8.

T. Oppermann/C.D. Classen/M. Nettesheim, Europarecht, 9th edn (C.H. Beck, 2021), § 41.

P. Van Elsuwege, ‘The EU and its Neighbours’, in: R. Wessel/J. Larik (eds), EU External Relations Law, 2nd edn (Hart, 2020), p. 437-460.

K. Smith, ‘An End to Enlargement: The EU, its Neighbourhood and European Order?’, in: Christopher Hill/Michael Smith/Sophie Vanhoonacker-Kormoss (eds), International Relations and the European Union, 4th edn (OUP, 2023), ch. 13.

Further Reading

L. Larik/B. Van Vooren, ‘The External Dimension of Joining and Leaving the EU’, in: R. Wessel/J. Larik (eds), EU External Relations Law, 2nd edn (Hart, 2020), p. 461-490.

M. Kotzur, ‘Europäische Nachbarschaftspolitik’, in: Andreas von Arnauld (ed), Enzyklopädie Europarecht, Vol. XII, 2^nd edn (Nomos, 2022), § 7.

Materials

Information on the Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean and the European Neighbourhood Policy: Eastern Partnership.

Power Point Presentation: Download.

Common Commercial Policy

H. de Waele, Legal Dynamics of EU External Relations, 3rd edn (Springer, 2023), ch. 4.

S. Meunier/K. Nicolaïdes, ‘The European Union as a Trade Power’, in: Christopher Hill/Michael Smith/Sophie Vanhoonacker-Kormoss (eds), International Relations and the European Union, 4th edn (OUP, 2023), ch. 8.

J. Larik, ‘Common Commercial Policy’, in: R. Wessel/J. Larik (eds), EU External Relations Law, 2nd edn (Hart, 2020), p. 209-246.

T. Oppermann/C.D. Classen/M. Nettesheim, Europarecht, 9th edn (C.H. Beck, 2021), § 40.I-III.

T. Müller-Ibold, ‘Das Recht der Außenbeziehungen’, in: Armin Hatje/Peter-Christian Müller-Graff (eds), Enzyklopädie Europarecht. Europäisches Organisations- und Verfassungsrecht, 2nd edn (Nomos, 2022), § 12 paras 44-71.

Materials

Commission Website with recent developments and background information, incl. an overview of existing agreements and ongoing negotiations. Information on CETA and on TTIP and on Mercosur, incl. the EU’s negotiation position.

Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 ... laying down the Union Customs Code (OJ 2013 L 269/1), with later amendments. Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 … applying a Scheme of Generalised Tariff Preferences (OJ 2012 L 303/1), with later amendments. Regulation (EU) 2015/478 … on Common Rules for Imports (OJ 2015 L 83/16), with later amendments. Regulation (EU) 2018/825 ... on protection against dumped imports ... and ... on protection against subsidised imports from countries not members of the European Union (OJ 2018 L 143/1). Regulation (EU) 2022/2560 on foreign subsidies distorting the internal market (OJ 2022 L 330/1).

Regulation (EU) 2019/452 ... establishing a framework for the screening of foreign direct investments (OJ 2019 L 79I/1). Regulation (EU) 2023/2675 on the protection of the Union and its Member States from economic coercion by third countries (OJ L 2023/2675). Regulation (EU) 2023/956 establishing a carbon border adjustment mechanism (OJ 2023 L 130/52). Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on the making available on the Union market and the export from the Union of certain commodities and products associated with deforestation and forest degradation (OJ 2023 L 150/206). Proposal for a Regulation on prohibiting products made with forced labour on the Union market, COM(2021) 453 of 14.9.2022.

Außenwirtschaftsgesetz (AWG); Außenwirtschaftsverordnung (AWV).

Power Point Presentation: Download.