Main themes

This course constitutes an introduction to the institutional system and policies of the European Union.
In the first instance, the course introduces all the founding Treaties of the EU (from the ECSC Treaty to the constitutional Treaty), then moves on to discuss the powers of the principal institutions, highlighting the specific nature of the way in which the Community operates and intergovernmental methods for dealing with foreign and security policy, legal and police cooperation.
Within a political science approach, light will be shed on questions such as the effectiveness and democratic legitimacy of decisions and the typology distinguishing confederation, Federation of States and federal state. The two dimensions of economic integration and political union within the European Union will be underlined.
In terms of policies, the course describes the stages of deepening economic and monetary integration, on the basis of notions of customs union, common agricultural policy, Common Market, single market and Economic and Monetary Union; it also describes cohesion policies and subsidiarity policies (environment, consumption, health). It examines issues of freedom of movement, security and justice and the extent of EU foreign policy: commercial policy, co-operation and development, external aspects of other policies, Common Foreign and Security Policy including the security and common defence policy.

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

Prerequisite : Political Science

Other credits in programs