European economic policies [ LEUSL2031 ]

An introductory course in economics.

The course first questions the nature of the European Union from the viewpoint of economic theory. Using that latter and the subsidiarity principle, it suggests a rational for distributing competencies between the Union and the Member States. It copes then with the main fields for which the EU is responsible, the internal market for goods and services, common policies regarding agriculture, competition and trade, action of the EU at social, regional, sectoral - with a special focus on higher education and research -, and macroeconomic level. Eventually a discussion of EU enlargement is also proposed.

The course aims at providing the student with the basic knowledge needed to understand the operation and challenges of the main economic policies at work in the EU.

The contribution of this Teaching Unit to the development and command of the skills and learning outcomes of the programme(s) can be accessed at the end of this sheet, in the section entitled “Programmes/courses offering this Teaching Unit”.

Written or oral examination.

Beyond the content described above, which will be mainly presented by the professor, the course will call for active participation of the student through compulsory readings and the writing and presentation of a term paper. That paper will be in line both with the topics of the course and the personal background of the student.

Pelkmans, J., 2006, European Integration, Methods and Economic Analysis, 3rd edition, Prentice Hall.

Support: textbook, professor's course notes and slides.