74571 - Europe in World Politics

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

• Know how the EU's role in world politics has developed through the evolution of the treaties and the practice of EU external policies

• Understand the current institutional architecture of EU foreign policy, with special attention to the role played by each institution in different external policies

• Apply different theoretical approaches and concepts in order explain the EU's global role in specific policy issues

• Compare the EU's role in world politics with that of competing powers and other multilateral organizations

• Evaluate current challenges and opportunities for the EU in world politics

Course contents

This course analyses the EU's role in world politics. The analysis will be conducted through two main parts. The first part (week 1-6) will be focussed on the key turning points in the historical evolution of the EU's role in world politics (from the Marshall Plan to the Lisbon Treaty and the Eurozone crisis) and on the institutional architecture of EU foreign policy. Special attention will be devoted to the institutional changes on EU foreign policy introduced by the Lisbon Treaty and to the specific role played by key institutions in different external policies.  Finally, this first part will examine International Relations and European integration theories and concepts that try to explain the level of integration reached in this domain. The second part (week 7-10)  will address most important EU external policies, (trade, development, Common Foreign and Security Policy, Common Security and Defence Policy included), key issues such as EU democracy promotion and conflict prevention and peace building, and interactions with major powers and multilateral organizations.

Classes and readings:

PART I: Processes, Actors and Theories

Week 1-2 (8 hours)
- Introduction to the course
- The Nature of the EU as a Global Actor
- European Integration and Foreign Policy: Deepening and Widening

 
Mandatory readings:
- Keukeleire, S. and Delreux, T. (2014), The Foreign Policy of the EU, Palgrave, chapters 1, 2
-    Aggestam, L. (2012), ‘New Actors, New Foreign Policy: EU and Enlargement', in S. Smith, A. Hadfield, T. Dunne (eds.) Foreign Policy. Theories, Actors, Cases, Oxford University Press, pp. 463-484

Background readings on the process of European integration (deepening and widening):
-    Bache, I. Bulmer S., George S. and Parker, O. (2014) Politics in the European Union (fourth edition), Oxford University Press, chapters 5-11 and 27

Week 3-4 (8 hours)
- EU Key players, Policy-making, Coherence and Implementation

Mandatory readings:
-    Keukeleire, S. and Delreux, T. (2014), The Foreign Policy of the EU, Palgrave, chapters, 3-5
-    Hayes, E. (2013), ‘EU Delegations: Europe's Link to the World, in K.E. Jørgensen and K. Verlin Laatikainen (eds.), Routledge Handbook on the European Union and International Institutions. Performance, Policy, Power, Routledge, pp. 27-40
-    Gebhard, C. (2011), ‘Coherence', in C. Hill and M. Smith (eds), International Relations and the EU, Oxford University Press, pp 101-127
-    Smith, M.E. (2011), ‘Implementation: Making the EU's international relations work', in C. Hill and M. Smith (eds), International Relations and the EU, Oxford University Press, pp 171-193
-    Smith, ME. (2013), 'The European External Action Service and the security-development nexus: organizing for effectiveness or incoherence?', Journal of European Public Policy, 20(9): 1299-1315
-    Vanhoonacker, S. and Pomorska, K. (2013), ‘The European External Action Service and agenda-setting in European foreign policy', Journal of European Public Policy, 20(9):  1316-1331

Background readings on EU institutions:
-    Bache, I. Bulmer S., George S. and Parker, O. (2014) Politics in the European Union (fourth edition), Oxford University Press, chapters 13-16

Week 5-6 (8 hours)
- Conceptualizing and Theorizing the EU as a Global Actor

Mandatory readings:
-    Keukeleire, S. and Delreux, T. (2014), The Foreign Policy of the EU, Palgrave, chapter 14
-    Andreatta, F. (2011), ‘The European Union's International Relations: A Theoretical View', in C. Hill and M. Smith (eds), International Relations and the EU, Oxford University Press, pp. 21-42
-    Bretherton, C. and Vogler, J. (2006), The European Union as a Global Actor, Routledge, chapters 1-2

-    Kagan, R. (2002), 'Power and Weakness', in Policy Review, June/July, pp. 3-28
-    Manners, I. (2002), Normative power Europe: a contradiction in terms?, Journal of Common Market Studies, 40(2): 235-258
-    Bull, H. (1982), Civilian power Europe: a contradiction in terms?, Journal of Common Market Studies, 21(2): 149-164
-    Duchêne, D. (1972), ‘Europe's Role in World Peace', in R. Mayne (ed.) Europe Tomorrow: Sixteen Europeans Look Ahead, Collins, pp. 32-47

Background readings on International Relations theories:
-    Jackson, R., and Sorensen, G. (2012), Introduction to International Relations. Theories and Approaches, fifth edition, Oxford University Press, chapters 3-6
Background readings on European Integration theories:
-    Pollack, M.A. (2012), ‘Realist, Intergovernmentalist, and Institutionalist Approaches', in Jones, E., Menon, A. and Weatherill, S. (eds) Oxford Handbook of the European Union, Oxford University Press
-    Sandholtz W. and Stone Sweet A. (2012), ‘Neo-Functionalism and Supranational Governance', in Jones, E., Menon, A. and Weatherill, S. (eds) Oxford Handbook of the European Union, Oxford University Press
-    Pagoulatos, G. and Tsoukalis, L. (2012), ‘Multilateral governance', in Jones, E., Menon, A. and Weatherill, S. (eds) Oxford Handbook of the European Union, Oxford University Press

PART II: External Policies and Key Issues

Week 7 (4 hours)
- The EU as an Economic Power, Trade Actor, and Development Actor

Mandatory readings:
-    Meunier, S. and Nicolaidis, K. (2011), ‘The EU as a trade power', in C. Hill and M. Smith (eds.), International Relations and the EU, Oxford University Press, pp. 247-269
-    Carbone, M. (2011), ‘The EU and the developing world: partnership, poverty, politicisation', in C. Hill and M. Smith (eds.), International Relations and the EU, Oxford University Press, pp. 324-348
-    Dimopoulos, A. (2010), ‘The effects of the Lisbon Treaty on the principles and objectives of the Common Commercial Policy', European Foreign Affairs Review, 15(2): 153-170
-    Carbone, M. (2013), ‘International development and the European Union's external policies: changing contexts, problematic nexuses, contested partnerships', Cambridge Review of International Affairs, 26(3): 483-496

Week 8 (4 hours)
-The EU as a Security Actor

Mandatory readings:
-    Keukeleire, S. and Delreux, T. (2014), The Foreign Policy of the EU, Palgrave, chapters 7 and 8

- Græger, N. and K. Haugevik (2013), ‘EU-NATO Relations', in K.E. Jørgensen and K. Verlin Laatikainen (eds.), Routledge Handbook on the European Union and International Institutions. Performance, Policy, Power, Routledge, pp. 259-270
-    Hill, C. (1993), ‘The Capability-Expectations Gap, or Conceptualising Europe's International Role', Journal of Common Market Studies, 31(3): 305-328
-    Solana, J. (2014), 'The European Union and Human Security: The Making of a Global Security Actor', in M. Martin and T. Owen (eds), Routledge Handbook on Human Security, pp. 251-259
-    Joint Declaration on European Defence, Franco-British Summit, Saint Malo, 4 December 1998
-    A secure Europe in a better world, European Security Strategy, Brussels, 12 December 2003

Week 9 (4 hours)
- The EU and Democracy Promotion

Mandatory readings:
-    Whitehead, L. (1996), 'Three International Dimensions of Democratization', in L. Whitehead (ed.) The International Dimensions of Democratization: Europe and the Americas, Oxford University Press, 3-24
-    Schimmelfennig, F. and Sedelmeier, U. (2004), ‘Governance by conditionality: EU rule transfer to the candidate countries of Central and Eastern Europe', Journal of European Public Policy, 11(4): 144-163
-    Baracani, E. (2012), 'US and EU Strategies for Promoting Democracy', in F. Bindi and I. Angelescu (eds.) The Foreign Policy of the EU. Assessing Europe's Role in the World, second edition, Brookings Institution Press, 306-317
-    Balducci, G. (2013), 'The study of the EU promotion of human rights: the importance of international and internal factors', in  K.E. Jørgensen and K. Verlin Laatikainen (eds.), Routledge Handbook on the European Union and International Institutions. Performance, Policy, Power, Routledge, pp. 185-200

- The EU, Conflict Prevention and Peace Building

Mandatory readings:
-    Eilstrup-Sangiovanni, M. and Verdier, D. (2005), ‘European Integration as a Solution to War', European Journal of International Relations, 11(1): 99-135
-    Diez, T. Stetter, S and Albert, M. (2006), ‘The European Union and Border Conflicts: The Transformative Power of Integration', International Organization, 60(3): 563-593
-    Baracani, E. (2015), ‘The European Union and Conflict Prevention. What Europeanization?', Rivista Italiana di Politiche Pubbliche, 1/2015: 5-30


Week 10 (4 hours)
- Competition with Major Powers and Cooperation with Multilateral Organizations

Mandatory readings:
-    Keukeleire, S, and Delreux, T. (2014), The Foreign Policy of the EU, Palgrave, chapters 12 and 13
-    Smith, M.  and O. Elström (2013), ‘The European Union and International Regimes', in K.E. Jørgensen and K. Verlin Laatikainen (eds.), Routledge Handbook on the European Union and International Institutions. Performance, Policy, Power, Routledge, pp. 297-310
-    Smith, M. and Steffenson, R. (2011), ‘The EU and the United States', in C. Hill and M. Smith (eds), International Relations and the EU, Oxford University Press, pp. 404-431
-    Grevi, G. (2013), ‘The EU Strategic Partnerships: Process and Purposes', in M. Telò and F. Ponjaert (eds.), The EU's Foreign Policy. What kind of power and diplomatic action?, Ashgate, pp. 159-173
-    Zhimm, C. (2013), ‘The Efficacy of Post-Lisbon Treaty EU'S External actions and China-EU Strategic Partnership', in M. Telò and F. Ponjaert (eds.), The EU's Foreign Policy. What kind of power and diplomatic action? Ashgate, pp.175-188.

Readings/Bibliography

A detailed list of mandatory readings, for each lecture, is provided in the course contents. Background readings, listed in the first part of the course contents, are suggested for those students who do not yet possess a preliminary knowledge on key issues in European Politics and on European integration and International Relations theories. All the readings are the same for attending and non-attending students.

Teaching methods

Traditional lectures.

Students are encouraged to attend every session regularly. During each class, active participation will be encouraged. Students are expected to participate constructively with questions and comments to highlight important aspects of the topics at stake. To do so, it is essential that students do the mandatory readings indicated for each lecture.

Assessment methods

For attending students the course grade is based on a written exam on the first part of the program (40%) and an oral examination on the second part (60%). The written exam consists of 3 questions that require a response of about 30 lines (exam duration 1 hour and 15 minutes) and it will take place on December, 17th (at 11.00). The oral examination will take place during the exam sessions.

For non-attending students, and attending students who did not take part in the written exam on December 17th or have refused the grade of this exam, the course grade is based on a written exam covering the entire program. The exam consists of 10 questions that require an answer each of about 10 lines (exam duration 2 hours). Each question allows for a maximum of 4 points. The following scale will be used for the evaluation of this exam: http://www.unibo.it/Faculty/default.aspx?NRMODE=Published&View=Link&mat=047572&content=4815&id=4815. It will be possible to ask for clarification on the evaluation at the date indicated at the time of publication of the exam results. In the absence of communication by the student by the established date, the votes published will be registered.

Teaching tools

The instructor's power point presentations will be available at the end of each week through the online platform AMS Campus.

In order to accede this material, please, register at https://www.dsa.unibo.it to the distribution list called elena.baracani_euworldpolitics.

A part of the readings (articles and official documents) are available through the online platform AMS Campus [http://campus.unibo.it/]. For the remaining readings, instructions will be given at the beginning of the course.

Office hours

See the website of Elena Baracani