Learning outcomes

The object of this course is to offer a theoretical and practical introduction to the main legal issues arising from the globalisation of the world economy. It examines both the wider issues of governance of the world economy and the specific legal issues arising from various types of international business transactions.
The first part of the course is designed to provide students with the conceptual tools to understand what can be described as the legal foundations of the contemporary world economy. It thus examines international subjects (States, international organizations and private actors)and sources (customs, treaties and their implementation in the national legal orders).
The second part of the course examines the roles of international economic institutions in the global and regional (European Union, North American free Trade Agreement) contexts. A particular emphasis is placed on the WTO (its foundations, dispute settlement mechanism and the so-called "trade ands”, in particular: human rights and environmental issues). The course will also cover the basic principles of international investment law and the settlement of disputes under bilateral investment treaties (BIT).

Program

The teaching method combines lectures with class discussions on specific subject-matters and case studies on the basis of materials distributed during the course.

Examination Methods

Students who attended the course will have an option between a written test at the end of the course and an oral examination. They can prepare on the basis of their notes and the distributed materials.
Students who did not attend the course will take an oral examination on the text book: A. F. Lowenfeld, International Economic Law, Second Edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2008, Parts I,II, III, V, VI and VIII.