Area of freedom, security and justice

leusl2103  2023-2024  Louvain-la-Neuve

Area of freedom, security and justice
5.00 credits
30.0 h
Q2
Teacher(s)
Duez Denis; Rizcallah Cecilia;
Language
French
Main themes
The course is divided into two parts.
Part I provides a legal analysis of a number of issues relating to the AFSJ. It is divided into 5 lessons. Lesson 1 is devoted to the general legal framework of the AFSJ and the main principles governing it. Lesson 2 deals with the general system for protecting fundamental rights in the AFSJ. The following lessons are thematic. Lesson 3 deals with the legal framework for judicial cooperation in civil matters (various regulations on the mutual recognition of judgments in civil matters). Lesson 4 is devoted to the legal framework for judicial cooperation in criminal matters, and in particular the instruments for mutual recognition of judgments between Member States (European arrest warrant, mutual recognition of alternatives to detention, minimum harmonisation directives). Lesson 5 introduces the Common European Asylum System (CEAS). At the end of this first part of the course, students will have acquired a general knowledge of the AFSJ legal system (harmonisation directives and Dublin system).
Part II takes a political science analysis of the issues surrounding the AFSJ. This part is also subdivided into five lessons. Lesson 1 is devoted to the historical and political dynamics behind the establishment of the AFSJ. It highlights the close relationship between the implementation of the principle of free movement of persons and goods in an area without internal borders and the development of European cooperation in the field of internal security. Lesson 2 is devoted to European cooperation in the fight against terrorism. It deals with the normative and definitional issues, as well as operational cooperation between Member States. Lesson 3 deals with the regulation of human mobility from the point of view of checks at border control points (Schengen visas, Schengen Information System, biometrics, automated checks). Lesson 4 looks at the surveillance of border areas, i.e. the portions of the EU’s external borders (sea or land) located between border control points. Together, lessons 4 and 5 introduce to the concept of “smart borders”. Finally, lesson 5 is devoted to the external dimension of the AFSJ.
Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

1 Understand the main legal and political issues relating to the establishment of the AFSJ.
 
2 Locate and use relevant legal sources for this purpose.
 
Content
The course aims to provide a synthetic and critical view of the European Union's action in the areas covered by Title V of the TFEU: the area of freedom, security and justice (AFSJ). It aims to provide students with a sound knowledge of the historical, political and legal foundations of Member States' cooperation in the field of justice and home affairs. It does so by examining some of the fundamental concepts and principles of cooperation in justice and home affairs that stem from Article 67 TFEU, which defines the area of freedom, security and justice.
At the end of this course, students should be able to:
  • Understand the basic concepts and principles governing EU cooperation in the field of justice and home affairs;
  • Identify the main issues and tensions in the area of freedom, security and justice;
  • Apply the different basic concepts and principles to concrete cases;
  • Find and use legal sources in the field of AFSJ, including the Treaties, secondary legislation and the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union;
  • Participate in academic and public debate on current AFSJ issues.
Evaluation methods
Written examination.
Faculty or entity
EURO


Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)

Title of the programme
Sigle
Credits
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
Master [120] in European Studies