The aim of the course is to understand and to critically assess the functioning, role and significance of the main institutions and actors in the political system of the European Union. Recent political science literature on the political and bureaucratic functioning of the main actors in contemporary EU politics will be discussed. Besides the main institutions (European Commission, Council of the EU, European Parliament, European Council, Court of Justice of the EU), attention will be paid to the interaction between the institutions in the formulation and implementation of EU policies, to interest groups and non-state actors, as well as to the increasing importance of EU-level agencies and national parliaments in EU policy-making.
Students will have a global understanding of the whole set of collective actors that contribute to the political system of the EU, as well as of the main type of interactions among them. They will have acquired analytical tools to evaluate their functioning, role and significance critically.
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 exam. The exam covers all the material discussed during the lectures and presented in the reader.
- Introduction to the political system of the EU and the role of actors in that political system
- European Commission
- European Parliament
- Council of the EU
- European Council
- Interinstitutional relations and decision-making
- Court of Justice
- Agencies
- National parliaments
- Interest groups and societal interest representation
Support: reader with obligatory readings (updated annually) and list of recommended readings.
