Learning objectives

The course is intended to provide the student with the knowledge of the basic legal rules governing economic activities, both at national and supranational level.

At the end of the course, the student will be able to analyse and elaborate on the basic legal notions and rules governing the production and exchange of goods, in the national and supranational dimension, in relation to the protection of the different interests at stake; to apply them to actual cases; to use the appropriate and specific legal jargon; to adopt correct lines of reasoning and argumentation, formulating autonomous judgments.

Prerequisites and basic notions

No prior knowledge required.

Program

The course will cover some of the main EU initiatives in the field of internal market and digital economy. In addition to the provisions of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the regulatory acts that will be analyzed include: the directive on electronic commerce 2000/31, the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act, competition law. The lessons are dedicated to the following topics: • What is the internal market and the 'digital' internal market? • What strategies and methods is the EU adopting to regulate the digital economy? • The relevance of EU law on online market access • Consumer protection in the digital economy • The liability of online intermediaries • Safeguarding free competition in the digital economy and protecting smaller businesses

Bibliography

Didactic methods

This is a 42-hour course, 6 of which online, and will take place with the support of previously indicated slides and study materials (e.g. European Union legislation and jurisprudence).

Learning assessment procedures

The exam has the aim of verifying the level of achievement of the training objectives indicated above. The exam will take place in written form (60 minutes) and will consist of three/four questions.

Evaluation criteria

For attending students, the final grade will be awarded on the basis of the following three criteria. 1) in answering the aforementioned questions, the ability to demonstrate: a) knowledge of the relevant legislation and jurisprudence and of the relative doctrinal analysis; b) effective understanding of the notions, general principles and above all the underlying 'logic' of the subject learned during the lessons and from the study of texts (e.g., which objectives are pursued by the legislator, which public interests are at stake, what are the basic general legal principles, what is the role of the various institutional actors, what are the macro-changes that have taken place in the legal framework). 2) in answering the aforementioned questions, the use of the correct legal terminology. 3) the degree of student participation in the discussions held during the lessons. Non-attending students will be assessed on the basis of two criteria: 1) the ability to demonstrate: a) knowledge of the relevant legislation and jurisprudence and the related doctrinal analysis; b) effective understanding of the notions, general principles and underlying 'logic' of the matter learned from the study of the texts (e.g., which objectives are pursued by the legislator, which public interests are at stake, which are the juridical principles general background, what is the role of the various institutional actors, what are the macro-changes that have taken place in the legal framework). 2) The use of correct legal terminology.

Criteria for the composition of the final grade

Please refer to the evaluation criteria

Exam language

Italiano (o Inglese per studenti stranieri)