The economic basis of the European Integration

Teacher(s)

Defraigne Jean-Christophe ;

Language

Français

Prerequisites

Introduction to economics.

Main themes

The course gives an introduction to the European economy and to economic policy. It provides the tools necessary to analyze the process of European economic integration. It also outlines the main European economic policies and their drivers.

Aims

Understanding of the main drivers of the European economy. Providing a critical analysis of a selection of European economic policies.

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”.

Evaluation methods

Written or oral examination.

Content

1. Introduction to the economic geography of Europe. 2. Long term analysis of the European economic integration process: - The fragmentation of Europe before the European-level construction, US competition and the problem of economies of scale (1900-1950) - The beginning of European-level construction - The policy of national champions and its effects on European economic integration - The non-sustainability of the national champion strategy and the acceleration of European economic integration in the 1980s and 1990s - The current level of economic integration in Europe and the remaining obstacles. 3. Rationale behind regional economic integration: an outline of the arguments from economic theory: - Welfare analysis - Balassa's stages of regional integration - Imperfect competition and regional integration - Mattli's theory of supply & demand for regional integration. 4. An introduction to European economic policies: - European trade policy and the multilateral trading system - Competition & industrial policy - The enlargement & regional policy - Common Agricultural Policy.

Faculty or entity<

> EURO