International Economic Law: International Trade and National Security
The seminar on Trade & National Security during the Spring Semester 2027 focuses on the intersection of trade and national security, against the background of geopolitical dynamics, technological rivalry, and climate challenges.
This seminar will address the evolving legal landscape governing national
security measures in the context of international trade (and investment law), with particular attention
to their justification and limits under WTO law, free trade agreements (FTAs), and investment
agreements. General international law, and specifically the law on State responsibility, will also be
discussed.
Key discussions will include the standard of review for national security claims, jurisdictional issues in
dispute settlement, and the implications of secondary sanctions and extraterritoriality. The seminar
will also cover national security provisions in FTAs, export control, foreign direct investment (FDI)
screening, anti-coercion mechanisms, and the growing role of industrial policy in national security
strategies.
Each student in this seminar will examine a selected particular problem. Each student is required to
give a presentation and to write a seminar paper on that selected problem.
The seminar will start with a lecture by Prof. Van Damme on trade & national security. This
introductory lecture, which is scheduled for Tuesday 23 February 2027 at 16h15 till 19h00, will help
students in preparing for their seminar presentation and in writing their seminar paper.
Download Syllabus
ECTS: 5
22 Feb 2027 -
4 Jun 2027
In the following programs: Master of Advanced Studies in International Law and Economics (MILE), Master of Law (LL.M.) in International Trade and Investment Law and Diploma of Advance Studies in International Law and Economics (TRAIL+)