https://at-ceu.studyguide.timeedit.net/modules/LEGS5182?type=COREFundamental/human rights are increasingly relevant in European Union (EU) law and policy. Anyone working or doing research in this field should therefore understand how the normative framework within which those operating in - or engaging with - the EU, function. They should also be able to identify and assess the potential human rights' impact of the legal and policy initiatives of EU institutions and bodies, EU members states, and other public or private actors which are, one way or another, bound by EU norms on fundamental/human rights. To that effect, this course seeks to provide students with foundational knowledge in EU human rights law and policy, whilst fostering relevant analytical and practical skills. After a critical historical overview, the course examines the various sources of EU fundamental/human rights norms and the legal and policy instruments which are used to ensure their protection and promotion, across various EU policy settings, in both internal and external affairs. It then turns to actors and mechanisms involved, stressing the social and institutional dynamics at play in the complex, multileveled, and overlapping European human rights regimes. The course relies on academic literature, legal and policy documents, and specialised news sources. The materials and discussions focus on legal perspectives, with a preference for law-in-context approaches, but the course also integrates works from other disciplines, and reflects on the value of interdisciplinary exchange in other to understand better the dynamics of human rights protection and promotion in the EU and beyond, and to be in a better position to support improvement. Each class explores features of the EU system of protection of fundamental/human rights, and links them to specific policy areas in which they have acquired a particular relevance. The course includes small practical cases and simulation exercises, and a study visit to the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, based in Vienna (date/time TBC).The course seeks to provide students with a sound knowledge of EU human rights law and policy frameworks, and a good understanding of their implications for law and policymaking and implementation in the EU. It also aims to equip students with analytical tools for assessing the significance of human rights in European integration, governance and policies, whilst improving their understanding of law and policymaking and implementation in the EU. Finally, it seeks to enhance their ability to work across disciplines and professional categories and solve problems, and to further improve their written and oral communication skills.