40040 - Governance and Policies of the European Integration

Learning outcomes

The objective of this course is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of regional integration and the European Union. By the end of the course, students will possess the analytical skills necessary to navigate various theories and approaches in these areas. They will learn to analyze the integration process using competing or complementary interpretative frameworks and deepen their knowledge of political decision-making processes. This includes understanding both the formal and informal rules as well as the key actors involved in European governance across different EU policy areas.

Course contents

he 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, and EU policymaking; recent literature about EU Crisis, post-functionalism and new intergovernamentalism, new-nationalism and EU integration challenges (8 hours);

• the second part is focused on EU governance, modes of policymaking of European pprocess and institutions. Modes of EU policymaking will be analysed: community method, intergovernmental negotiations, and the European Semester as a specific framework of coordination; integration without sovranationalisation (6 hours);

• in the third part some relevant macro-field of EU policies and decison-making processes will be analysed through text-book and readings devoted to specific arguments on EU governance and EU policies. Some of the relevant EU policies will be studied: CAP  and CAP reforms, environment-climate-energy policies, macro-economic and monetary policy, energy policy, and cohesion and development policies,  policy responses to recent crises (war trade energy). To further enhance knowledge on some of these policy macro-areas, seminars can be organized with external guests, involving the reading and discussion of a common essay in the classroom; individual papers on a specific topic related to one of the macro-themes will be developed (22 Hours)
  
• For the preparation and academic writing of an individual paper focused on a preferred topic specific readings will be available, along with the professor's support for topic delimitation and paper structure (office hours)
  
• 
  

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

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

English -- Bulmer S. et al. 2020 Politics in the European Union, Fifth Edition, Oxford University Press (Capitoli: 6-11; capitoli 12- 17). in alternative -- Nugent N., 2017, Government and Politics of the European Union, Bloomsbury Academic; 8th edition

For Erasmus students the text book to study before the course is: Bulmer S. et al. 2020 Politics in the European Union, Fifth Edition, Oxford University Press (Capitoli: 6-11; capitoli 12- 17). Nugent N., 2017, Government and Politics of the European Union, Bloomsbury Academic; 8th edition

The course would be very useful for students who want to engage in interniships 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

Readings 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)

Fabbrini S., 2025, Nazionalismo 2.0 - la sfida sovranista all'Europa Integrata, Mondadori Università (3 capitoli)

Hooghe L. & Marks G., 2020, A Postfunctionalist Theory of European Integration: From Permissive Consensus to Constraining Dissensus, British Journal of Political Science, 39, 1-23

Genschel P. et al., 2023, War and integration. The Russian attack on Ukraine and the institutional development of the EU, in Journal of European Integration , vol 45, issue 3

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07036337.2023.2183397?src=recsys#abstract

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

- Wallace H., Pollack M.A., Young A., 2020, Policy-making in the European Union, Oxford, Oxford University Press (i capitoli delle politiche trattate)

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 a more in-depth and up-to-date study of policies and decision-making processes, recent essays in specialist journals (JCMS, JEEP, JEI) will be chosen with regards to te topic of the individual paper. All articles will be available online.

Teaching methods

Teaching methods include:

- lectures and in-depth readings, class work, and individual preparation—together with the teacher—for the final paper (to be submitted to the teacher at least three days before the exam).

- Lectures will introduce and explore all course topics.

- individual study progress will be assessed periodically with targeted questions on texts and  readings;

- one or two seminars will be held by scholars or experts on the topics covered in class;

- few shared readings will be presented and discussed in class (debate led by the teacher);

- the individual end-of-course paper is an experiment in academic writing, also in view of the master's thesis. It will be on a topic from those covered, chosen by the student, and will be developed with the support of the teacher, adding 4 academic essays to the basic readings and the common essays.

Assessment methods

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

- class attendance and performance in class activities ( weekly questions and synthesis of the topics studied; attention will be devoted to analytical ability and the use of right concepts and specific language) (5%)

- 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 writing of an individual paper on a topic chosen from those covered, with the addition of a specific bibliography focused on the topic (4 articles) (30%).

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

Office hours

See the website of Renata Lizzi