The course aims at providing students with a basic knowledge of the foundations of the legal system of the European Union, through the analysis of the terminological and technical tools necessary to understand the complex process that leads to the adoption of EU legislative acts and to the protection of individuals. In this perspective, the course does not only focus on the acquisition of notions, but aims at developing the student's ability to legal reasoning and independent and critical assessment, in relation to a legal system with specific characteristics and features.