EU Area of Freedom, Security and Justice

Course Information
TitleEU Area of Freedom, Security and Justice / EU Area of Freedom, Security and Justice
CodeESC201
FacultySocial and Economic Sciences
SchoolPolitical Sciences
Cycle / Level1st / Undergraduate, 2nd / Postgraduate
Teaching PeriodWinter/Spring
CoordinatorIoannis Papageorgiou
CommonYes
StatusActive
Course ID600022583

Programme of Study: International Studies: Specialization in European Studies

Registered students: 10
OrientationAttendance TypeSemesterYearECTS
KORMOSElective Courses beloging to the selected specialization2110
Class Information
Academic Year2023 – 2024
Class PeriodSpring
Faculty Instructors
Weekly Hours3
Total Hours39
Class ID
600229040
Course Type 2021
Specific Foundation
Mode of Delivery
  • Face to face
Digital Course Content
Erasmus
The course is also offered to exchange programme students.
Language of Instruction
  • English (Instruction, Examination)
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, students wille, students will be able to: • Understand the historical background and evolution of the AFSJ. • Understand core concepts and principles that govern EU cooperation in the AFSJ. • Identify the key actors and institutions involved in the AFSJ. • Analyze the policy instruments and measures adopted by the EU in the AFSJ. • Evaluate the impact of the AFSJ on the EU and its member states. • Develop critical thinking skills in analyzing current issues related to the AFSJ.
General Competences
  • Apply knowledge in practice
  • Work autonomously
  • Work in teams
  • Work in an international context
  • Work in an interdisciplinary team
  • Appreciate diversity and multiculturality
  • Demonstrate social, professional and ethical commitment and sensitivity to gender issues
  • Be critical and self-critical
  • Advance free, creative and causative thinking
Course Content (Syllabus)
Course description This course provides an in-depth analysis of the policies, decision-making process and institutions involved in the European Union's Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice (AFSJ). The AFSJ is one of the fastest-developed policy areas in the EU and a key area of EU policy, covering a wide range of issues related to the free movement of people, asylum and migration, police and judicial cooperation, and counterterrorism. The course will examine the historical evolution of the AFSJ, the changes brought forward by the Treaty of Lisbon, the present institutional framework, and the policy instruments and measures adopted by the EU in this area. In addition, it will examine a selection of substantive rules that govern mobility and security in Europe. Course Outline The course is scheduled in 13 weeks as follows: Week 1: Introduction. Overview of the historical background and evolution of the AFSJ – from Maastricht to Amsterdam. The “Lisbonisation” of the AFSJ – the fall of the “pillar” system. Key actors and institutions involved in the AFSJ. Week 2: Free movement of persons. The right to free movement within the EU. The role of EU institutions in ensuring the free movement of persons. Challenges and debates surrounding free movement. Weeks 3-4: Asylum and refugee policies. The EU's asylum and refugee policies. The Dublin system and its implementation. The gradual transformation of asylum into a EU policy, driven by member states. Week 5: The “constitutionalisation” of AFSJ. The relationship between the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the AFSJ. The gradual mainstreaming of rights in AFSJ policies. Week 6: The protection of human rights within the AFSJ. Analysis of case law in the context of the AFSJ. Week 7: Police and Judicial Cooperation. The EU's police and judicial cooperation policies. The role of Europol and Eurojust. The challenges and debates surrounding police and judicial cooperation. Week 8: Counterterrorism. The EU's counterterrorism policies. The role of the European Counter Terrorism Centre (ECTC). The impact of terrorism on the EU and its member states. Week 9: Data protection. Introduction to the EU data protection and its principles. Data protection applicable in the judicial and police cooperation in criminal matters. Week 10: Legal migration. The slow development of legal migration policies. The weak Europeanisation of legal migration. v impact of EU priorities on legal migration. Week 11: Judicial cooperation. The gradual increase of judicial cooperation in the EU. The European Public Prosecutor. The gradual creation of a European civil law space. Week 12: Challenges and Opportunities. Examination of the challenges and opportunities presented by the AFSJ. Towards a single European Asylum status? Assessment of the future of the AFSJ. Week 13: Conclusion and Final Exam. Review of key themes and issues covered in the course. Final exam covering all course material.
Keywords
AFSJ, European Union, European policies
Educational Material Types
  • Slide presentations
  • Multimedia
  • Book
Use of Information and Communication Technologies
Use of ICT
  • Use of ICT in Communication with Students
  • Use of ICT in Student Assessment
Course Organization
ActivitiesWorkloadECTSIndividualTeamworkErasmus
Lectures391.4✓✓
Reading Assigment1505.5✓✓✓
Field trips and participation in conferences / seminars / activities100.4✓✓
Written assigments732.7✓✓✓
Exams30.1✓✓✓
Total27510
Student Assessment
Description
• Class participation and engagement (20%) • Written assignments (40%) • Case study presentation (20%) • Final exam (20%)
Student Assessment methods
  • Written Exam with Short Answer Questions (Formative)
  • Written Exam with Extended Answer Questions (Formative)
  • Written Assignment (Formative)
  • Performance / Staging (Formative)
Bibliography
Additional bibliography for study
• The EU's Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice (Oxford University Press, 2013) • The EU's Role in Global Governance: The Legal Dimension (Routledge, 2017) • The Routledge Handbook of Justice and Home Affairs Research (Routledge, 2018) • The European Union's Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice (Cambridge University Press, 2016) • The EU's Common Security and Defense Policy: Learning Communities in International Organizations (Routledge, 2017) • Boeles, P. et. al., European Migration Law (Antwerp, Intersentia, 2014) • Barnard, C. and Peers, S. (Eds), EU Law (Oxford, Oxford University Press), Chapters 25 (EU Criminal Law) and 26 (EU Migration and Asylum Law) • Chalmers et al., European Union Law: Text and Materials, (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014), Chapters 12 (EU Law and Non-EU Nationals) and 14 (EU Criminal Law) • Craig and de Búrca, EU law: Text, cases, and materials (Oxford, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2015), Chapters 11 (Human Rights) and 25 (AFSJ: EU Criminal Law) • Mitsilegas, V., EU Criminal Law (Oxford, Hart Publishing, 2016) • Peers, S., EU Justice and Home Affairs (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2016) (Non-Civil)
Last Update
15-02-2024