Not required.

The course aims to provide students with a comprehensive overview of the European Union's core institutions, internal and foreign policies. It will explain the working of the EU institutions and analyze their contribution to the European policy-making process. It also introduces the students to the main theoretical interpretations of the development of the European integration. Finally, the course will provide students with the basic knowledge on the international relations of the European Union.

The main topics of the course are:

- A short history of the European integration
- Theoretical perspectives on EU integration
- The EU's institutions and their role in the policy making process
- EU as a multilevel system of governance
- Lobbying and interest groups in the EU policy process
- Europeanization and EU-Member States interactions
- Major EU policy fields (single market, competition policy, social policy,
environmental policy, justice and home affairs as well as foreign and security
policy)
- The role of the EU as an international actor
- International Relations theories and the EU external relations
- EU and global governance
- EU as a security actor in international politics
- EU, United States and the emerging powers

• 1.  (A) D. Kenealy, J. Peterson, e R. Corbett The European Union: How Does it Work? Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2018
• 2.  (A) S. Keukeleire, T. Delreux The Foreign Policy of the European Union Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2014
• 3.  (C) T. Forsberg and H. Haukkala The European Union and Russia Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2016
• 4.  (C) S. Fabbrini Europe's Future. Decoupling and Reforming Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2019
• 5.  (C) A. Prontera Beyond the EU Regulatory State. Energy Security and the Eurasian Gas Market Rowman & Littlefield International/ECPR Press, London, 2019

Program for attending students:

1) D. Kenealy, J. Peterson, and R. Corbett, The European Union: How Does it Work?, Oxford University Press, 2018.

2) S. Keukeleire, T. Delreux, The Foreign Policy of the European Union, Palgrave Macmillan, 2014 (chapters 1-8, pp. 1-197).

- Additional mandatory readings for attending students will be made available during classes by uploading them on the teacher's website.


Program for non-attending students:

1) D. Kenealy, J. Peterson, and R. Corbett, The European Union: How Does it Work?, Oxford University Press, 2018.

2) S. Keukeleire, T. Delreux, The Foreign Policy of the European Union, Palgrave Macmillan, 2014.

- One book choosen from those included in the reading list.

• Frontal lessons and case studies.
  
  The course includes co-teaching lectures involving the course in 'Comparative government and politics of west and east Europe' held by Professor Ronald Car. The co teaching will focus on the history of European integration and its theoretical perspectives.
  

• Exams will be only in written form through open questions.
  Attending students will be offered the opportunity to divide their exam into two parts: mid term and final exam (both written exams).
  Exams aim at assessing the level of assimilation of notions and concepts discussed in class as well as the aquisition of a methodology skills that should enable students to have a critical understanding of European politics and EU foreing affairs.

The course will be taught in English

The exam will be in English