The course will analyze the initial motives behind the creation of the European Community and its subsequent development into the European Union with a unique institutional structure. There will be a study of the EU's key common policies - Economic and Monetary Union, Competition, Agriculture, External Trade etc - and their global effects; paying special attention to EU-US relations.
COURSE AIMS
By the end of this course you should have a much better understanding of the European Union (EU) and the process of political and economic integration in the region. The course traces the development of the European Community from a limited customs union to an economic and quasi-political Union governed by a unique institutional framework. The course then assesses specific Community policies and considers their relevance in the international context, particularly for EU-US relations. There will be a study of the key E.U. member states, focusing on their unique history, present economic/political situation and attitude towards European integration. The course will pay special attention to the most important challenges facing the region (e.g. the euro, enlargement, immigration etc) and the effects they may have on the EU’s future economic competitiveness.
CORE TEXT
POLITICS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION: Stephen George & Ian Bache (2001), Oxford University Press, Oxford
ANNEX
A specially designed booklet containing a collection of course notes/press articles relevant to course (Economist, Financial Times, Newsweek etc)
GRADING SYSTEM
Examinations: Mid-term: 30%
Final: 30%
Presentation: 20%
Participation: 20%
Students are reminded that class attendance is mandatory; unjustified absences will result in the lowering of the final grade
COURSE OUTLINE
1) Introduction to Course â€" What is the EU?
2) Creation of the European Economic Community â€" historical background to, and the nature of, European integration resulting in the Treaty of Rome
3) Towards a Single Market â€" mapping the EU’s evolution from the Treaty of Rome to the Single European Act. Economic integration. Single Market.
4) Formation of the European Union â€" broadening of the scope/depth of integration with the Treaty of Maastricht: economic & political integration
5) EU Institutional Framework â€" reviewing the roles and powers of the institutions and how they inter-react
6) EU Law â€" a study of the unique nature of EU Law: the different types of laws, how they are formed and how they affect business in the Member States
7) Economic and Monetary Union â€" benefits of single currency, why early attempts at coordination failed, criteria for euro membership
8) The Euro â€" reviewing its effects on the EU/international economy and the key challenges it faces (adjustment, inflexibility, role of ECB, reconciling the ins with the outs etc)
9) Country Studies â€" post-war challenges, the economic developmental model, contemporary political/economic profile, and role within/attitudes to, the EU of key members: i) Germany, ii) France, iii) Britain
10) European External Trade Policy â€" the nature of EU’s preferential/nonpreferential international trading agreements with the rest of the world WTO
11) EU-US Trade Relations â€" a review of the state of trans-Atlantic economic relations: the agreements signed and the many areas of dispute
12) Common Agriculture Policy â€" objectives, nature, regional and international effects, attempts at reform and why it has proven difficult, WTO context
13) E.U. Competition Policy â€" what it covers, it effectiveness, areas of dispute (especially merger policy) and the role of the Commission
14) Enlargement â€" how the different stages have effected the EU, negotiations surrounding recent enlargement, pros & cons for the EU/new members
15) Future Challenges for the EU â€" Immigration; Common Foreign and Security Policy; United States of Europe?
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