40040 - Governance and Policies of the European Integration

Academic Year 2021/2022

  • Docente: Renata Lizzi
  • Credits: 8
  • SSD: SPS/04
  • Language: Italian
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Forli
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in International Relations and Diplomatic Affairs (cod. 9247)

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 is taught in presence. The number of students allowed in class is determined on the basis of room capacity and by the health and safety provisions that deal with the pandemic emergency. In case more students want to attend classes in presence than permitted by the rules, a system of shifts will be organized so to allow students to participate. Regardless of the health-related conditions and the specific organization of the course, students will be able to attend lessons of the entire course remotely on MS TEAMS

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, network analysis, and europeanization studies; recent literature about EU Crisis and 'disintegration' will be considered. At the conclusion of this section one lesson will be devoted to the sinthesis of concepts, and theretical debate of present perspecitves of integration (10 hours);
  • the second part is focused on EU governance, modes of policy making in different european policies. Modes of EU policy making will be analysed: community method, intergovernamental negotiations, open method of coordination, and the European Semester as a framework of hard coordination;  approaches will be empirically tested for the study and explanation of european policies (relevant actors, procedures, informal practices, style of decision making) through the study of specific articles and documents related to different methods and policies (20 hours);
  • in the third part some relevant areas of EU policies and decison-making processes will be analysed through readings and seminars devoted to specific arguments fo EU governance and policies. This part provides the basis for the preparation of the Simulation (10 hours). A concusive Simulation of the European Council will be organized (if the conditions will make it posssible). 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)

Hodson D. & Puetter U., 2019, The European Union in disequilibrium: new intergovernmentalism, postfunctionalism and integration theory in the post-Maastricht period, Journal of European Public Policy https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13501763.2019.1569712?src=recsys

Schmidt V. 2020,Theorizing institutional change and governance in European responses to theCovid-19 pandemic, Journal of European Integration, 42, 8, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07036337.2020.1853121

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

- Borzel T., 2016, From EU Governance of Crisis to Crisis of EU Governance: Regulatory Failure, Redistributive Conflict and Eurosceptic Publics, in Journal of Common Market studies, vol. 54 n. 1.


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

 

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

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

Further Readings:

-Peterson J. Bomberg E., 1998, Decision Making in the European Union, New York, Basingstoke


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


- experts' seminars, that will see the participation of scholars or EU officials or lobbyists

- working groups 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

SDGs

Affordable and clean energy Climate Action Peace, justice and strong institutions Partnerships for the goals

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.