This course provides an introduction to the legal and institutional reforms under the Treaty of Lisbon (TOL). The TOL shapes EU law and institutions for the foreseeable future. In this course, we explore this important transformation of EU Law by outlining the main reforms and their implications so far. We also consider the implications of the post-2007 financial crisis for the reform of EU institutions.

Students should acquire an understanding of the major EU institutional reforms since the adoption of the Treaty of Lisbon. They also will learn how to understand the relationships between EU institutions, focusing on the basic principles of EU institutional law; to analyze judicial decisions of the European courts; and to analyze the legal, economic and institutional issues involved in the leading cases decided by the Court of Justice of the European Union. Students are also required to present an oral report on a leading case and to comment on another similar presentation, thus they will improve their analytical and presentation skills and ability to analyze in public the leading EU institutional cases.