40040 - Governance and Policies of the European Integration

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is: to achieve advanced overview of the european integration and knowledge of the main theories and approaches to European integration, EU institutional settings and modes of policy making. The second part of the program focuses on the European governance, introducing the concept, the analytical approach, and the functioning in contemporary EU. It follows the study of some policies promoted by the EU (Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Regional Policy, Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), Environmental policy). Through the study of these sectoral policies and related policy making the students will have got the instrument for analyzing the main policy modes in the EU, including open-method of coordination and intensive intergovernamentalism. The third part of the program is focused on recent literature and debate on EU integration crisi and theories of dis-integration

Course contents

The course will be held with traditional methods and frontal lessons.

The course is divided in three parts and a conclusive simulation:

• the first is devoted to the study of European integration theories and approaches: neofunctionalism, intergovernamentalism, governance and multilevel-governance, policy studies, and policy making; recent literature about EU Crisis, post-functionalism and new intergovernamentalism will be considered. At the conclusion of this section one lesson will be devoted to the synthesis of concepts, and analytical models to study EU integration and policies(8 hours);

• the second part is focused on EU governance, modes of policy making of European policies. Modes of EU policy making will be analysed: community method, intergovernmental negotiations, open method of coordination, and the European Semester as a specific framework of coordination;  approaches will be used through the study of specific articles and documents related to different methods and policies (6 hours);

• in the third part some relevant areas of EU policies and decison-making processes will be analysed through text-book and readings devoted to specific arguments fo EU governance and policies. More relevant EU policies will be studied: CAP, climate change, economic and monetary policy, energy policy, and cohesion and development policies, recent policy responses to pandemic (RRF) (22 Hours)
  
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• Last part of the course provides the basis for the preparation of the Simulation. A Simulation of the European Council/Council will be organized (if the conditions will make it possible). It will see the students playing the role of  national representatives at the negotiating table (4 hours). It will be organized if  conditions permit.
  

Basic knowledge on history and institutional organization of EU is taken for granted; the text books are:

Brunazzo M. & Della Sala V., 2019, La politica dell'Unione Europea, Milano Mondadori

Nugent N., 2011, Organizzazione politica europea, Vol. II, Bologna, Mulino

For Erasmus students the text book to study before the course is: Bache I, and Others, 2012, The Politics of European Union, Oxford University Press

The course would be very useful for students who want to do an interniship at the EU institutions, think tanks or lobbies.

Readings/Bibliography

Text Books and articles:

Integration theories

- Rosamond B., 2000, Theories of European Integration, Basingstoke, Macmillan

- Kohler-Koch B., Rittberger B., 2006, The Governance Turn in EU Studies, in Journal of Common Market Studies, vol. 44, pp. 27-49

Hooghe L., Marks G., 2019, Grand theories of European integration in the twenty-first century, Journal of European Public Policy, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13501763.2019.1569711

Deepenings on Recent Theoretical Debate:

Fabbrini S., 2014, After the Euro Crisis. A New Paradigm on the Integration of Europe, ARENA, Oslo, 18 March 2014. (pdf su material didattico)

Howarth D., Quaglia L., 2021, Failing forward in Economic and Monetary Union: explaining weak Eurozone financial support mechanisms, in JEPP, special issue, E. Jones et al. (eds), Failing Forward? Crises and Patterns of European Integration, https://www-tandfonline-com.ezproxy.unibo.it/doi/full/10.1080/13501763.2021.1954060

Text-books and articles focused on EU policy making and Policies:

- Wallace H., Pollack M.A., Young A., 2015/2020, Policy-making in the European Union, Oxford, Oxford University Press (only thr chapters on European policies studied)

Verdun A. & Zeitlin J., 2018, Introduction: the European Semester as a new architecture of EU socioeconomic governance in theory and practice, Journal of European Public Policy, 25:2, 137-148, DOI: 10.1080/13501763.2017.1363807

Skjærseth, J. B. (2016). Linking EU climate and energy policies: Policy-making, implementation and reform. International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, 16(4), 509–523.

Perez M., Scholten D., Stegen K., 2019 The multi-speed energy transition in Europe: Opportunities and challenges for EU energy security, Energy Strategy Reviews, 26, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2019.100415

For an in-depth and updated study of some policies, other essays will be indicated (available online):

Erjavec K. Erjavec E., 2015, Greening the CAP’ – Just a fashionable justification? A discourse analysis of the 2014–2020 CAP reform documents, in Food Policy, 51, 53-62

Daugbjerg C. e Feindt P., 2017, Post-exceptionalism in public policy: transforming food and agricultural policy, JEPP , vol. 24, n. 11,

Gravey V. et al., 2021, For Farmers or the Environment? The European Parliament in the 2013 CAP Reform, Politics and Governance, 9-3, 16-28.

Crescenzi R. et al. 2020, Back to the MSs. Cohesion Policy and the national challenges to the EU, Regional Studies, vol. 54, n. 1, pp. 5.9

Dupont, C., Oberthür, S., & von Homeyer, I. (2020). The Covid-19 crisis: A critical juncture for EU climate policy development? Journal of European Integration, 42(8), 1095–1110. https://doi-org.ezproxy.unibo.it/10.1080/07036337.2020.1853117

 

Teaching methods

Teaching methods are:

- teacher's traditional lectures

- weekly question time in order to verify the effective study of recommended readings on specific arguments

- there will be two seminars held by scholars or experts of European policies and institutions.

- working groups could be dedicated to deepenings and discussion over readings related to main topics of the second part of the program

- Concluding simulation on European Council. It will allow students to learn  roles and mechanisms of the institution and the negotiating process.

Assessment methods

Assessment of the students' progress in Learning will be based on

- class attendance and performance in class activities (reporting lectures, or writing weekly questions and synthesis of the topics studied; attention will be devoted to  analytical ability and the use of right concepts and specific language) (10%)

- final oral examination on all the readings and class works, lessons of the teacher; the knowledge acquired, the ability to analyze and the appropriate language will be assessed (65%)

- preparation and participation in Simulation; this teaching instrument has the scope to deepen the knowledge of effective institutuional dynamics and role of main political actorso of EU (25%)

Teaching tools

Teaching tools are:
text books, academic literature and articles suggested in "Recommended readings",

slides, papers on line, data and reports available on institutional webs of EU, research institutions and other organizations.

Documents and papers, links and every other teaching materiaal will be available on the unibo Platform :

https://campus.unibo.it/cgi/users/home

Office hours

See the website of Renata Lizzi