Droit public économique

The “Droit public économique” course aims to provide a detailed analysis of the indirect and direct interventions of public authorities in the economic sphere and of the legal frameworks through which these interventions are implemented.

After examining the historical background and foundations of public intervention in the economy, the course will be structured around two main areas.

The first part of the course will focus on interventions by public authorities that may be described as indirect. It will notably address the freedom to conduct a business and the limitations that may be imposed on it, the rules governing the exercise of certain economic activities and the access to them, the supervisory and regulatory authorities, as well as administrative policing.

The second part of the course will examine the direct intervention of public authorities in the economy. It will notably explore the legal framework governing public procurement, subsidies, and financial support measures implemented during times of crisis.

While placing particular emphasis on the national level and the specific features of Belgian federalism, the course will also address relevant European considerations pertaining to the subject matter.

The “Droit public économique” course aims to enable students to understand how public authorities organize, regulate, and steer economic activity in pursuit of the public interest, within an evolving economic context. The analysis of the legal principles, rules, and mechanisms governing direct and indirect public intervention in the economy contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the challenges addressed by public economic law and makes it possible to consider its development at both the national and supranational levels.

A number of the lectures will be delivered ex cathedra. Some sessions will take the form of a “flipped classroom”. This teaching method is designed to enable students to gain a thorough understanding of certain aspects of the subject by working on practical cases or engaging with assigned readings, which will then be explained in a structured manner after students have attempted to solve the cases and analyze the readings individually or in small groups. In addition to fostering more dynamic learning, autonomy, and collaboration, the examination of these practical cases and readings will provide an opportunity for debate on key issues in public economic law.

At the end of each session, students will be asked a few questions via the Wooclap application to ensure that they have understood the material and to encourage interaction. The format of these questions will be similar to that of the questions included in the final examination.

Slides outlining the key elements (structure, legal provisions, etc.) of the topics covered will be made available to students during the course and on the website “Université virtuelle”. In addition, students will be provided with a course pack containing case law decisions and legal scholarship.

Campus

UMons

Method(s) of evaluation

• written examination

written examination

The grade awarded to students will be based on a written examination taking the form of a true-or-false test requiring justification. Students will be presented with ten statements and will have to determine whether each statement is true or false and justify their answers by drawing on the legal arguments discussed during the different course sessions.

The assessment method is the same for both the first and second examination sessions.

Language(s) of evaluation

• french