The body of national law derived from EU directives and regulations expands into all areas of government, and officials in both national and EU administrative bodies play an increasingly active role as administrators and enforcers of EU law. Therefore, they need sufficient understanding of EU law to avoid actions incompatible with EU rules, leading to compensation claims against them and their authority. On the other hand, EU regulatory affairs professionals from business and professional associations are required to possess good knowledge of the EU legislative framework in order to actively influence the EU lawmaking process.The course is divided into three parts, all taking into account the changes brought about by the Lisbon Treaty. It first provides a comprehensive overview of the constitutional organisation of the European Union, including the fundamental principles on which the Union is funded (five days). Secondly, it offers an overview of specific policy areas (two days). Lastly, it: a) introduces a practical overview of the implementation of EU law at the EU level (comitology) and by the Member States, and the consequences thereof for the EU Member States in terms of administrative capacities and human resources; and b) updates participants on current development affecting the EU today (three days).When reviewing the constitutional organisation of the EU, particular attention will be paid to the legislative and institutional framework of the EU, including the functioning, inter-relation and decision-making processes of the various institutions and the role of the Member States in these processes, as well as possible consequences of not fulfilling Treaty obligations. In addition, the procedures for the EU law implementation at EU level (the new comitology procedure) will be analysed in more detail in order to fine-tune participants’ knowledge on the differences between various categories of legal acts introduced by the Lisbon Treaty (legislative vs. non-legislative acts). The sessions on implementation at the national level discuss practical approaches to identify national capacity needs and to react accordingly. The sessions focusing on internal market law will explain the universal operation of principles founding the four freedoms, for example, the non-discrimination, proportionality and mutual recognition principles; while the sessions on Justice Freedom and Security focus on judicial and law enforcement cooperation, the free movement of people (including 3rd country nationals) and e-Justice. The programme also reviews the EU judicial system, including the tasks, structure and procedures of the European Courts and their role in the development of the law, as well as the national courts’ role as enforcers of EU law.