Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE MCT1003

 
TITLE European Media Law

 
UM LEVEL 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 5

 
ECTS CREDITS 4

 
DEPARTMENT Media, Communications & Technology Law

 
DESCRIPTION This study-unit will introduce the student to European Media Law. It will study the audiovisual acquis of the European Union together with the audiovisual conventions of the Council of Europe. Case law of the European Court of Justice will be referred to when discussing the Television Without Frontiers Directive and its substitute the Audiovisual Media Services Directive. In this way the student can better comprehend European Media Law.

Study-unit Aims

The aims of the study-unit are the following:
(a) to cover the audiovisual legislation of the European Union;
(b) to cover the Council of Europe's audiovisual conventions;
(c) to discuss the case law of the European Court of Justice in the interpretation of the EU audiovidual acquis;
(d) to examine European Media Soft Law.

Learning Outcomes

1. Knowledge & Understanding:
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

(a) describe the European Union Media acquis;
(b) interpret European Union media acquis by reference to the judgments of the European Court of Justice;
(c) classify the content of European Media Law as contained in Council of Europe audiovisual conventions and soft law from those contained in European Union hard law and soft law.

2. Skills:
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

(a) review European Media Law in its diverse branches;
(b) compare and contrast European Media Law;
(c) critique the case law of the European Court of Justice in the media field.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings

Oliver Castendyk, Egbert J. Dommering, Alexander Scheuer, "European Media Law", Kluwer International, The Netherlands, 2008.
Peggy Valcke, "Media Law in the European Union, Wolters Kluwer Law & Business", The Netherlands, 2012.
Michael Holoubek, Dragana Damjanovic, Matthias Traimer, "Regulating Content: European Regulatory Framework for the Media and Related Creative Sectors", 2007, Kluwer Law International BV, The Nerherlands.
None of the above books are available in the University of Malta Library but a copy of each book has been ordered.

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES Students taking this study-unit need to have a background in law.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Examination (1 Hour) SEM1 Yes 100%

 
LECTURER/S Francis Zammit Dimech

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit