UCL - European Economy

[ECGE1331]

[30h + 15h] 5 credits

Teacher(s): Hylke Vandenbussche

Language: English

Level: First

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods

Aims

The objective of this course is to provide students with a frame of reference of European realities so that they can understand the nature of European Economics, the particular related issues and the economic policies that have been adopted. This framework should enable them to examine critically the nature of the hypotheses within the theoretical models elaborated in the specialist courses (International Economics, Work Economics, Regional Economics, Industrial Economics etc) and to judge their relevance in understanding and implementing European policies.

Main themes

The first part of the course is an introduction to the European institutions and basic statistics that impact on the economics policies that have been adopted. The introduction ends with an analysis of the European budget.
The second part examines the objectives of the main European economic policies, the micro- and macro-economic instruments used within these policies and their degree of coordination.

Content and teaching methods

Part I: Europe: History, Institutions and basic Statistics
1 Basic statistics (EU15, EU25, USA, Canada, Japan, China?, Russia): surface, population, employment, GNP, in-flation, GDP, foreign trade, distribution of income, inflation, public sector
2 History and Institutions
The forms of integration
From Treaty of Rome at the European Convention
The European institutions: skills and tools
3 The room for manoeuvre: the European budget and the Sapir report

Part II: The coordination of microeconomic policy
1 The internal market policy
2 Competition policy
3 The industrial policy (competitiveness, R & D and Structural Funds)
4 The external trade policy
5 Supplementarity or conflict between the microeconomic policy?