EU Law for Non-Lawyers

Description and Objectives:
As the body of national law derived from EC directives and regulations expands into all areas of government, officials in both national and EU administrative bodies can no longer plead ‘ignorance’ of their role as administrators and enforcers of EU law and legal principles. This series of one-day tutorials will provide a concentrated, in-depth introduction to the most important rules of European law for civil servants. It is divided into modules, starting with fundamental issues and proceeding to the most important field of substantive law: the internal market.

• Day 1 - EU Legal System and EU Acts and Fundamental Principles and ECJ Procedures
• Day 2 - The Internal Market and the Fundamental Freedoms, including Mutual Recognition

This design and the division of the programmes into one-day modules will offer the participants a high degree of flexibility in adapting the event to their needs by enabling them to choose the fields most appropriate for them. Furthermore, as these rules must be respected by all, this series aims to inform non-lawyers of the obligations imposed by European law to which they are subject.
The aim is to provide the participants with a practical understanding of the legal system of the EU, the most important principles to bear in mind in any field of government activity, as well as the internal market and its latest developments. This will be presented in a way that clearly shows their relevance and impact on their daily work. In this way they can avoid actions that prove to be incompatible with European rules and that would therefore become devoid of legal force and could lead to compensation claims against officials and their authority. Another aim is to describe these legal topics in a manner that is easy to understand for non-lawyers, as the latter must also know them to avoid errors

Method:
These tutorials will involve high-intensity coaching by EIPA specialists for a small group of participants (maximum 15), allowing an individualisation of training for the specific positions of participants in order to demonstrate the relevance and consequences of the rules for their daily work, while also offering new perspectives and differing views as a result of interaction between the participants.

Target Group:
All officials and specialists in the national and local administrations and EU institutions and agencies whose work is affected – directly or indirectly – by European Union legislation, e.g. by participation in EU law-making (preparation and negotiation), law approximation or application of national laws derived from EU law