AEL Summer Course on The Law of the European Union

The courses are open to advanced students of law or related fields, including lawyers, specialists, practitioners, professors and researchers, and provide ample opportunities to engage in discussions and exchange ideas with experts and fellow participants working in the same field. 

Applicants should have completed at least:

• 3 years of a law degree, or
• 4 years of university studies, including courses on international law and/or EU Law (to be listed on the application form)

Applicants of all nationalities are eligible.

All classes are in English and participants therefore need to have a strong command of English (level B2 of the Common European Framework Guidelines is recommended as a minimum requirement). No language certificate is required.

Admission is based on merit. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Places on the courses are very limited and candidates are advised to apply early.

The application form consists of a number of questions to candidates:

• level of education
• experience
• motivation

You will be asked to indicate a referee who needs to submit a reference letter in order for the application to be considered as complete. Your referee will receive an email by us, but please inform them in advance as this process might require some time.

Applications are considered on a rolling basis. The Academy staff will let you know as soon as possible whether you have been offered a place. (However, if you have not heard anything by one month after the application deadline, please get in touch: [email protected]

When you receive the offer of a place on the course, you have 10 days to reply to the offer. To guarantee your place on the course, the fee payment must be made within 10 days of accepting a place. If you have not paid the fee within 10 days, the place may be offered to someone else.

The course fee is €1,000 for participation in person and €500 for online participants.

Selected participants from low-income countries may apply to pay a reduced fee of €100 for the online course.

The fee covers:

• tuition: the Distinguished Lecture, the General Course, and all the Specialized Courses
• reading materials for all sessions
• coffee breaks and luncheon vouchers
• networking opportunities and the opportunity to discuss your research / work experience with other participants
• additional activities (e.g. aperitivo with a view, etc.)
• the opportunity to take the Diploma examination

The fee does NOT cover:

• accommodation in Florence
• travel costs

Cancellation: a refund of 75% of the fee can be requested for cancellations up to 4 weeks before the course starts. After that time, refunds will be given only in exceptional circumstances, at the discretion of the Academy directors.

Selected participants from low-income countries may apply to pay a reduced fee of 100 EUR for the online course.

If you are studying or working in one of the listed low-income countries, please specify it in the application form, explaining why you need financial assistance. There are a limited number of places, therefore please provide as much information as possible to determine your need (e.g. your income in relation to the average income of the listed country). 

Note: Your nationality is not relevant; you must be studying or working in one of the listed countries.

A) If you are a candidate working in one of the following countries, you may be eligible for your course costs to be paid through the EUI’s Widening Europe Programme. Please indicate on your application form or by writing an email to [email protected] if you wish to be considered, and indicate if your participation is conditional on this funding.

• In the European Union: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
• Outside the European Union: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Moldova, and Ukraine.

B) If you are a Ukrainian candidate from one of the following universities, you may be eligible for funding from the Polish Agency for Academic Exchange (SGH-NAWA) to attend this course. You should indicate in your application form that you wish to request this funding.

• National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman (KNEU)
• National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA)
• Kyiv School of Economics (KSE)
• Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU)
• Vasyl Stus Donetsk National University (DonNU)