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B4199 - HISTORY OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

Academic Year 2026/2027

                
                        Docente:
                        Alessandro Giacone
                    
                        Credits:
                        8
                    
                        SSD:
                        GSPS-04/B
                    
                        Language:
                        English
                    
                        Teaching Mode:
                        In-person learning (entirely or partially)
                        
                            Campus:
                            Bologna
                        
                            Corso:
                            Second cycle degree programme (LM) in
                            International Relations (cod. 6749)

                                    Course Timetable
                                
from Sep 15, 2026 to Nov 25, 2026

Learning outcomes

The course examines the historical development of European integration from 1950 to the present day. At the end of the course, students are expected to understand how the European institutions function (in particular, the role of the European Council and the institutional triangle of Parliament, Commission, and Council) and to situate their evolution over time. They will also be able to identify the interactions between the European Union and other global players (the United States, China, Russia, etc.) and assess the EU’s action (or inaction) in current diplomatic relations and conflict situations. Students will also master the political debate concerning the future of the European Union: geographical borders of the EU, how will it function with 35 Member States and what institutional reforms could be useful to ensure its effectiveness in the future.

Course contents

The course traces, in chronological order, the various stages in the history of European institutions, beginning with the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the failure of the European Defence Community (EDC) and the European Political Community (EPC), and the subsequent establishment of the European Economic Community (EEC) and Euratom. It then examines the effects of the “European relaunch” that took place during the years of the Delors Commissions (the Single European Act, the Delors Committee on Economic and Monetary Union, and the Maastricht Treaty), as well as the institutional developments of recent years, covering the period from the Treaty of Nice (2000) to the Treaty of Lisbon (2007) and up to the present day.

Readings/Bibliography

For the oral examination, students are required to read Desmond Dinan’s book, A concise history of the European Union, Boulder, CO, Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2025.

Teaching methods

Classes will be held in person. The language of instruction is English.

Assessment methods

An oral presentation during the course and an oral examination at the January session.

Teaching tools

Powerpoint presentations.

Office hours

See the website of Alessandro Giacone