Description
Purpose: The seminar aims to advance understanding of the European Union (EU) and its main institutions, such as the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Council. It focuses on patterns of EU decision-making by accounting for both formal and informal processes and inter-institutional relations since the implementation of the Treaty of Lisbon. With active contributions to the seminar, in the form of presentations and a final research paper, students learn to analyze decision-making in European integration in a range of different policy areas.
Content: We analyze changes to patterns of decision-making in the European Union (EU), paying particular attention to proposals made in the context of the Convention on the Future of Europe and the provisions incorporated into the Treaty of Lisbon. We assess the role of various actors in EU decision-making, including EU institutions such as the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Council and the Council of the EU, patterns of formal and non-formal interactions and inter-institutional dynamics post-Lisbon. Each student presents work on European integration in class and contributes to the analysis of decision-making in a particular policy area – such as fiscal and monetary policy-making, environmental protection or EU foreign and security policy – in the form of a final research paper.
Methods of Instruction
Lectures, presentations and discussion.
Study Material
A range of recent journal articles and book chapters on decision-making in the European Union.
Examination
Short assignments, presentations and a final research paper.
Schedule
Monday 9 September until 16 December, 15.00-17.00 hrs in SA21