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 the EU integration

- The EU's institutions and their role in the policy making process

- The EU as a multilevel system of governance

- Lobbying and interest groups in the EU

- 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, A. Hadfield, J., R. Corbett, J. Peterson, The European Union: How Does it Work? Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2022; All chapters; 9780198862246;

• 2  (A) S. Keukeleire, T. Delreux The Foreign Policy of the European Union, Bloomsbury, London, 2022; All chapters; 9781350930483; 9781350930506;

Additional/supplementary materials will be provided for attending students.

• The course builds on lectures, with possible additional insights based on issues raised by the students. To this end, the lessons will be set up in a dialogical way, so as to allow the active participation of the students and the development of their critical skills. Some case studies will also be illustrated, starting from original materials provided by the professor (related to current events).

• Exams will be only in written form through open questions. Students will be offered the opportunity to divide their exam into two parts: mid-term and final exam (both written exams, each consisting of three open questions). Exams aim at assessing the level of assimilation of notions and concepts discussed in class as well as the of a methodology skills that should enable students to have a critical understanding of European politics and EU external relations. Specifically, the criteria for the marks will be: a) knowledge and ability to understand texts (35% of the total overall assessment); b) ability to make links between texts (35% of the total overall evaluation); c) independent judgment and critical thinking (30% of the total overall assessment).

  
  

English