UCL - European Institutions: legitimacy and efficiency

[EUSL2205]

[30h] 5 credits

This course is taught in the 2d semester.

Teacher(s): Denis Duez

Language: French

Level: Second

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

The purpose of the course is threefold. First, the students will have to become familiar with the political impact of the issues of legitimacy and efficiency on the activities and the development of the European political institutions. Second, they will have to be able to analyse and to present the actual state of the debate on that topic, both in scientific and political fields. Finally, the students will have to produce a personal reflection - scientifically built - on the issues of legitimacy and efficiency in the European integration.

Main themes

As an introduction, the course will define the meaning of the notions of legitimacy and efficiency. It will underline the potential contradiction between these two values as well as their importance in the evaluation of law and public action. The course will then explore different methods that have been presented both in scientific and political fields to asses the level of legitimacy and efficiency of national and international political institutions. Finally, the course will present how the issues of legitimacy and efficiency have been adapted to the European political system as a whole and in particular to the European institutions (Commission, Parliament, Court of Justice). It will focus on the initiatives that have been undertaken to increase the legitimacy and the efficiency of the European Union and its institutions.

Content and teaching methods

The course aims at giving theoretical and empirical tools to the students to understand contemporary debates related to the issues of legitimacy and efficiency, especially in the perspective of future developments of the European institutions. The course will provide the students with the knowledge and the theoretical background that will allow them to develop personal and scientifically built reflections on this topic.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Period: 2nd semester.
Periodicity: yearly.
Language: French.
Prerequisite:
Evaluation: written or oral examination.
Support: to be determined by the professor in charge.
References: to be determined by the professor in charge.