Indicative Content |
An introduction to European Integration
Introduction to European Integration
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The History of European Integration
• Brief historical context of Europe and the EU
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The Decision-Making Institutions of the European Union
• The ‘Democratic Deficit’. The Structure and functions of the European Commission, The Council of Ministers, the European Council, The European Parliament, the Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors. The future of Europe.
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The Theory of Trade and the EU
• Trade Theory. The Effects of Tariffs on a large and small country. Frequently used barriers to trade within the EU. The political economy of protectionism
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The Economics of Integration
• Trade creation and trade diversion. Dynamic effects of integration. Links between trade and growth
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From the ‘Single Market’ to the ‘New Europe’
• The key treaties of the EU. The Single European Act.
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Economic and Monetary Union
• Optimum Currency Areas. Costs and Benefits of the Euro. The economic background to EMU. The main functions of the European Central Bank.
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The EU Budget
• Main items of expenditure form the EU budget. Basic principles of the EU budget. Main features of the budget. Evaluation and outlook for the budget.
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EU Enlargement
• Main steps involved in the pre-accession strategy. Extending C AP and funding to new member states. Links between labour movement to an enlarged EU
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Labour, Immigration and Asylum
• Patterns of immigration, Justice and Home Affairs, the Schengen Agreement, Europol, Human rights and the EU, the effects of migration on wage levels and unemployment
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The Common Agricultural Policy
• Objectives and Rationale, the principles of the CAP, main mechanisms of CAP, CAP reform, the outlook for CAP
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The Circular Economy and Environmental Policies
• Principles of EU environmental policy, role of the European Environmental Agency, International dimension of EU environmental policy, Energy policy, the Circular Economy
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Regional policy
• Links between integration and regional policy, role of the Structural Funds, Cohesion Fund and European Investment Bank, Evolution of EU regional policy
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Social and Employment Policies
• ‘EU Social Policy’, the main stages in the development of EU social policy, the effectiveness of EU social policy, the Social Charter, Combating poverty, Combating unemployment
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Competition and Industrial Policies
• The main features of Community antitrust policy, merger control, state aid, the role of the European Commission in competition policy, how EU industry policy has evolved, supporting national and EU champions.
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EU Trade and Aid Policy
• EU and the WTO, EU relations with the US, EU relations with neighbouring countries, foreign aid policy in the EU.
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Common Foreign and Security Policy
• The International Security Environment, the debate on the future of an EU defence
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The Future of the EU
The effects of Brexit. The effects of COVID-19 on co-operation between member states. Future Enlargement. Operating in a global world.
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