Political System of the European Union

Recommended Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of English language. 

Teaching Methods

The course combines lectures focusing on the analysis and critical evaluation of the European integration dynamics, in its diffrent dymensions (also including both teacher presentations and debates with students, based on the recommended readings), with more practical classes where distinct methods of teaching will be used, including analysis of historical and EU official documents; handling of the Lisbon Treaty; simulation exercise; and debates of reading materials.  

Learning Outcomes

Main learning outcome:

- Understand the historical na politcal processes that underlay european integration.

 

Specific learning outcomes and skills:

- Develop capacities to analyse the legal and political framework of the European Union, particularly the division of competences among EU instituions and its decision-making procedures;

- Develop capacities to map and criticaly analyse the normative and functional dimensions of the EU's public policies that have a bigger impact in the Union's international presence, namely thorugh the application of diffrenet theoretical frameworks;

- Develop practical skills of analysis and problem solving as well as of ellaboration of concrete proposals for political action by the different EU institutions.    

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

Part I. the EU and the process of European integration

1. What is the European Union? Theoretical views of the European integration process

2. The Founding Treaties: from the European Communities to the European Union

3. From the Constitutional Treaty to the Lisbon Treaty

4. The dynamics of European desintegration

Part II. Institutions and decision-making processes

5. Decision-making in the EU

6. European Institutions: European Commission, European Parliament, Council of the EU, European Council

7. The new actors in the EU's multilevel governance

Part III. EU policies (for example)

8. EU External Relations

9. The EU's Foreign, Security and Defense policies

10. The Area of Liberty, Security and Justice

11. The Economic and Monetary Union

Part IV. Practical exercise

12. Simulation of a EU institution.

Head Lecturer(s)

Sarah Carreira da Mota

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Participation: 20.0%
In-class presentation: 20.0%
Individual and group assignment: 60.0%

Bibliography

CAMISÃO, Isabel; FERNANDES, Luís Lobo (2005) Construir a Europa: o processo de integração entre a teoria e a história. São João do Estoril: Principia

CAMPOS, João Luiz da Mota de; CAMPOS, João Mota de (2010) Manual de direito europeu: o sistema institucional, a ordem jurídica e o ordenamento económico da União Europeia. Coimbra: Coimbra Editora.

NUGENT, Neill (2010) The government and politics of the European Union. 7th ed.. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Michelle Cini, Nieves Pérez-Solórzano Borragán (eds) (2013) EUROPEAN Union politics. 4th ed.. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Peterson, J. e Shackleton, M. (org.) The Institutions of the European Union, 3ª ed. Oxford: Oxford UP

União Europeia (2009) Tratado de Lisboa. Bruxelas: União Europeia.