Introduction to European Politics
M11110 (10 credits)
Level 1
Spring Semester 2008/09
Module Convenor: Professor Andreas Bieler
Contact details: Andreas Bieler
Module lecturers:
Prof. Andreas Bieler
Dr. Simona Guerra
Module Tutors:
Mr. Javier Argomaniz
Ms. Ana-Maria Anghelea
Ms. Helena Ekelund
Mr. Tim Veen
CONTENTS
Page
Summary of Content: ......................................................................................... 3
Educational Aims: .............................................................................................. 3
Learning Outcomes: ........................................................................................... 3
Module Evaluation: ............................................................................................. 3
Lecture/Seminar Titles: ....................................................................................... 4
Method and Frequency of Class: ......................................................................... 19
Method of Assessment: ..................................................................................... 19
Reading Information: ........................................................................................ 20
Coursework Support: ........................................................................................ 20
Guidance to Essay Writing: ................................................................................ 20
Assessed Essay Titles: ...................................................................................... 20
Example of Past Exam Paper: ............................................................................ 21
M11110 Introduction to European Politics
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Summary of Content:
This module seeks to provide students with an understanding of the rationale and key
stages of European integration, as well as of the institutions of the European Union
and its functioning. Topics covered will include an overview of the History of European
integration, key approaches to integration, the main institutions (Council, Commission,
Court of Justice, European Parliament) as well as several policy areas (foreign policy,
monetary policy, enlargement). Recent developments including the 2008 Treaty of
Lisbon will be covered as will be the debates about the alleged democratic deficit of
the EU.
Educational Aims:
The principal aims of this module are:

To provide a detailed introduction to the policy-making process in the European
Union;

To introduce students to the study of the European Union from a political
science perspective;
Learning Outcomes:
i)
Knowledge and understanding:
On completion of the module, students should be in a position to
 demonstrate a particular knowledge in the area of the European Union, its history
and institutional set-up (to be assessed by a 1500 word essay and a 1.5 hours
exam);
 demonstrate an empirical understanding of how decision-making occurs across a
range of policy areas (to be assessed by a 1500 word essay and a 1.5 hours
exam);
 develop an awareness of the possibilities and limits of European integration;
ii)


iii)


Intellectual skills:
think about the ongoing process of European integration in a reflective and critical
way;
the ability to link empirical material to theoretical approaches;
Professional/Practical skills:
absorb and disseminate large quantities of empirical material in a clear and concise
manner;
have the confidence to discuss issues of an abstract theoretical nature as well as
linking these debates to concrete empirical examples (to be practised in tutorial
discussions);
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iv)
Transferable & Key skills:
Through active participation in the module students will acquire
 the research skills necessary for carrying out research on the European Union;
 the capacity to engage in a structured and well informed discussion about complex
questions (to be practised in class discussions);
 the ability to write in a structured and concise way under time pressure (to be
assessed in the exam);
 the skill to write a thought through, well argued longer piece of work (to be
assessed in the 1500 word essay);
v)


IT skills:
the ability to deliver a professional, word-processed document with accompanying
bibliography and footnotes;
the skill to draw information and documents from the Web CT internet classroom
and use E-mail to communicate with module convenor;
Module Evaluation:
Evaluation and feedback are crucial to the success of any module. The School wants
students to have their say on Politics modules. Therefore modules are formally
evaluated on a biennial basis, so please use this opportunity to have your say. If you
have any other comments or queries regarding this module, please contact the module
convenor.
Lectures:
1. Introduction: The idea of Europe and EU history
The main questions to guide your reading are as follows:

What are the key moments of European integration?

Which are the core institutions of the European Union?

Who are the EU members since when?
Essential reading:
McCormick, John (2008) Understanding the European Union: a concise introduction
(fourth edition). Houndmills: Palgrave. Chapters 2 and 3.
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Further reading:
Bache, Ian and Stephen George (2006) Politics in the European Union (second
edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Part Two.
Nugent, Neill (2006). The Government and Politics of the European Union (6th edition).
London: Palgrave. Chapters 2, 3 and 4.
2. European integration and its theories
The main questions to guide your reading are as follows:

What are the basic assumptions of neo-functionalism?

What are the basic assumptions of liberal intergovernmentalism?

What are the core differences between neo-functionalist and
intergovernmentalist integration theories as far as actors and integration
dynamics are concerned?
Essential reading:
Bache, Ian and Stephen George (2006) Politics in the European Union (second
edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chapter 1.
McCormick, John (2008) Understanding the European Union: a concise introduction
(fourth edition). Houndmills: Palgrave. Chapter 1.
Further reading:
Moravcsik, Andrew (1993) ‘Preferences and Power in the European Community: A
Liberal Intergovernmentalist Approach’, Journal of Common Market Studies 31, 4:
473-524.
Nugent, Neill (2006). The Government and Politics of the European Union (6th edition).
London: Palgrave. PP.561-71.
Rosamond, Ben (2000) Theories of European Integraton. Houndmills: Palgrave.
Chapters 1, 3, 4 and 6.
Tranholm-Mikkelsen, J. (1991) ‘Neo-functionalism: Obstinate or obsolete? A
Reappraisal in the Light of the New Dynamism of the EC’, Millennium: Journal of
International Studies, Vol.20/1: 1-22. [A copy of this article is available in the short
loan collection of the Hallward Library.]
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Essay question:
‘States will only pool sovereignty if it is in their national interest to do so.’ Discuss in
relation to the development of the EU.
3. The early development of the European Union - 1952-1985
The main questions to guide your reading are as follows:

What were the main factors behind the foundation of the EU?

Which integration theory can explain this best?
Essential reading:
Bache, Ian and Stephen George (2006) Politics in the European Union (second
edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chapters 6 to 10.
McCormick, John (2008) Understanding the European Union: a concise introduction
(fourth edition). Houndmills: Palgrave. PP.45-57.
Further reading:
Dinan, Desmond (2005) Ever Closer Union: An Introduction to European Integration
(third edition). Basingstoke: Palgrave. Chapters 1 to 3.
Hoffmann, Stanley (1966) ‘Obstinate or Obsolete? The Fate of the Nation State and
the Case of Western Europe’, Daedalus, Vol.95/3: 862-915.
Nugent, Neill (2006). The Government and Politics of the European Union (6th edition).
London: Palgrave. Chapter 2.
Essay question:
Why was neo-functionalism the dominant approach in the early years of European
integration?
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4. Relaunching integration: The SEA, Maastricht and beyond
The main questions to guide your reading are as follows:

What were the reasons behind the revival of European integration from the mid1980s onwards?

Who were the main actors?

Which integration theory can account best for the revival of European
integration?
Essential reading:
Bache, Ian and Stephen George (2006) Politics in the European Union (second
edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chapters 11 to 14.
McCormick, John (2008) Understanding the European Union: a concise introduction
(fourth edition). Houndmills: Palgrave. PP.57-68.
Further reading:
van Apeldoorn, Bastiaan (2001) ‘The Struggle over European Order: Transnational
Class Agency in the Making of ‘Embedded Neo-Liberalism’, in Andreas Bieler and Adam
David Morton (eds.) Social Forces in the Making of the New Europe: the restructuring
of European social relations in the global political economy. Basingstoke: Palgrave.
PP.70-89.
Dinan, Desmond (2005) Ever Closer Union: An Introduction to European Integration
(third edition). Basingstoke: Palgrave. Chapters 4 to 6.
Nugent, Neill (2006). The Government and Politics of the European Union (6th edition).
London: Palgrave. Chapters 5 to 7.
Sandholtz, Wayne (1993) ‘Choosing union: monetary politics and Maastricht’,
International Organization, 47(1): 1-39.
Sandholtz, Wayne and John Zysman (1989) ‘1992: Recasting the European Bargain’,
World Politics, 42(1): 95-128.
Essay question:
Why did the Treaty of Maastricht mark a milestone in creating a political union?
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5. EU Institutions (Commission, EP, ECJ, Council, European Council)
The main questions to guide your reading are as follows:

Which are the main decision-making institutions of the EU? And how do they
work?

Which other institutions have been established?

How have the individual institutions evolved over time?

Which are the main policy-making procedures in the EU?
Essential reading:
Bache, Ian and Stephen George (2006) Politics in the European Union (2nd edition).
Oxford: Oxford University Press. Part Three Institutions, particularly PP. 229-332 (+
PP. 333-349, if of interest).
McCormick, John (2008) Understanding the European Union: a concise introduction
(fourth edition). Houndmills: Palgrave. Chapter 4.
Further reading:
Bomberg, Elizabeth, Laura Cram and David Martin (2004) 'The EU’s Institutions' in
Elizabeth Bomberg and Alexander Stubb (eds) The European Union: How Does it
Work?. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chapter 3.
Cini, Michelle (ed) (2007) European Union Politics (2nd edition). Oxford: Oxford
University Press. Chapters 9 to 12 (+ 13, if of interest).
Nugent, Neill (2006). The Government and Politics of the European Union (6th edition).
London: Palgrave. Chapters 9 to 13 (+ 14, if of interest).
Wallace, Helen and Mark Pollack (2005) 'EU Institutions and Policy Processes' in Helen
Wallace, Mark Pollack and William Wallace (eds) Policy-Making in the European Union
(5th edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chapter 3 (PP. 49-90).
Websites:
http://europa.eu/index_en.htm (EU website; click on institutions; also, you can access
it in the language you select, this is the English version)
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/default_en.htm (EP Parliament)
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/showPage.ASP?lang=en (Council of the European
Union)
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http://ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm (European Commission)
http://curia.europa.eu/en/index.htm (European Court of Justice)
Essay question:
The institutional architecture of the EU responds to the ever changing nature of the EU
itself. Discuss.
6. Internal policies I: CAP and Regional Policy
The main questions to guide your reading are as follows:

Why does the Common Agriculture Policy represent an important and peculiar
policy of the EU?

Why are CAP reforms so challenging? And which are the challenges of the
future?

When and why Regional Policy become a more salient EU policy?
Essential reading:
Allen, David (2005) ‘Cohesion and the Structural Funds. Competing Pressures for
Reform?’ in Helen Wallace, Mark Pollack and William Wallace (eds) Policy-Making in the
European Union. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chapter 9 (PP. 213-241).
Bache, Ian and Stephen George (2006) Politics in the European Union. Oxford: Oxford
University Press. Chapter 25 (‘Agriculture’) and Chapter 28 (‘Regional and Structural
Policies’) (PP. 378-402 and PP. 456-487).
Rieger, Elmar (2005) ‘Agricultural Policy. Constrained Reforms’ in Helen Wallace, Mark
Pollack and William Wallace (eds) Policy-Making in the European Union. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, Chapter 7 (PP. 161-190).
Further reading:
Cini, Michelle (ed) (2007) European Union Politics (2nd edition). Oxford: Oxford
University Press. Chapters 21 and 18.
Grant, Wyn (2003) ‘The Prospects for CAP Reform’, The Political Quarterly, 74(1): 1927.
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Mayhew, Alan (1998) Recreating Europe. The European Union’s policy towards Central
and Eastern Europe, Oxford: Oxford University Press, Chapter 9 ('Agriculture', PP.
236-281) and Chapter 10 ('Redistribution and the Structural Funds', PP. 282-299).
Nugent, Neill (2006). The Government and Politics of the European Union (6th edition).
London: Palgrave. Chapter 18.
Websites:
http://europa.eu/index_en.htm (EU website; clicking on activities you can find
information on the different projects of the EU by subject; also, you can access it in
the language you select, this is the English version)
http://europa.eu/pol/agr/index_en.htm (On Agriculture)
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/index_en.htm
Agriculture Policy)
(European
Commission
website
on
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/fischer-boel/index_en.htm
(Commissioner
Mariann Fischer Boyle’s website, Mariann Fischer Boyle is the European Commissioner
for Agriculture and Rural development)
http://europa.eu/pol/reg/index_en.htm (On Regional Policy)
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/index_en.htm
policy directorate general website)
(European
http://www.cor.europa.eu/pages/HomeTemplate.aspx
website)
Commission
(Committee
of
the
regional
Regions
http://www.aer.eu/en/home.html (Assembly of European Regions website)
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/hubner/index_en.htm
(Commissioner
Danuta Hübner’s website, Danuta Hübner is the European Commissioner for Regional
Policy)
Essay question:
What are the challenges for the Common Agricultural Policy after the 2004 EU
enlargement?
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7. Internal policies II: Economic and Monetary Union and Social Policy
The main questions to guide your reading are as follows:

Which were the key steps towards EMU?

What is the Growth and Stability Pact?

What is the underlying rationale/social purpose of EMU?

Does the EU Social Policy counteract the focus on the free market, expressed
within EMU?
Essential reading:
Bache, Ian and Stephen George (2006) Politics in the European Union (second
edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chapter 27.
Leibfried, S. (2005) ‘Social Policy’, in H. Wallace, W. Wallace and M.A. Pollack (2005)
Policy-Making in the European Union (5th edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Chapter 10.
McNamara, Kathleen R. (2005) ‘Economic and Monetary Union’, in H. Wallace, W.
Wallace and M.A. Pollack (2005) Policy-Making in the European Union (5th edition).
Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chapter 6.
Further reading:
Gill, Stephen (2001) “Constitutionalising Capital: EMU and Disciplinary NeoLiberalism”, in Andreas Bieler and Adam David Morton (eds) Social Forces in the
Making of the New Europe. Houndmills, Palgrave. PP. 47-69.
Jones, Erik (2002) The Politics of Economic and Monetary Union. Lanham/Maryland:
Rowman & Littlefield. Chapter 2.
Rhodes, Martin (2005) ‘Employment Policy’, in H. Wallace, W. Wallace and M.A. Pollack
(2005) Policy-Making in the European Union (5th edition). Oxford: Oxford University
Press. Chapter 11.
Sandholtz, Wayne (1993) ‘Choosing union: monetary politics and Maastricht’,
International Organization, Vol.47/1: 1-39.
Verdun, Amy (2004) ‘The Euro and the European Central Bank’, in Maria Green Cowles
and Desmond Dinan (eds) Developments in the European Union 2. Basingstoke:
Palgrave. PP.85-99.
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Websites:
The European Union website provides
http://europa.eu.int/pol/emu/index_en.htm
a
summary
of
EMU
policy
at:
The European Union website provides a summary of social and employment policy at:
http://europa.eu.int/pol/socio/index_en.htm
Essay question:
What are the problems and possibilities of EMU?
8. External policies I: CFSP and Common Commercial Policy
The main questions to guide your reading are as follows:

To what extent has the establishment of a common foreign and security policy
been successful?

Who is influential in the shaping of common and foreign and security policy?

What is the social purpose underlying the EU’s common commercial policy?
Essential reading:
McCormick, John (2008) Understanding the European Union: a concise introduction
(fourth edition). Houndmills: Palgrave. Chapter 9.
Wallace, William (2005) ‘Foreign and Security Policy: The Painful Path from Shadow to
Substance’, in H. Wallace, W. Wallace and M.A. Pollack (2005) Policy-Making in the
European Union (5th edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chapter 17.
Woolcock, Stephen (2005) ‘Trade Policy: from Uruguay to Doha’, in H. Wallace, W.
Wallace and M.A. Pollack (2005) Policy-Making in the European Union (5th edition).
Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chapter 15.
Further reading:
Bache, Ian and Stephen George (2006) Politics in the European Union (second
edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chapters 29 and 30.
Howorth, Joylon (2005) ‘From Security to Defence: The Evolution of the CFSP’, in Chris
Hill & Michael Smith, (eds.) International Relations and the European Union. Oxford:
Oxford University Press. PP. 179-204
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Meunier, Sophie & Kalypso Nicolaidis (2005) ‘The European Union as a Trade Power’,
in Chris Hill & Michael Smith, (eds.) International Relations and the European Union.
Oxford: Oxford University Press. PP. 247-269
Nugent, Neill (2006). The Government and Politics of the European Union (6th edition).
London: Palgrave. Chapter 19.
White, Brian (2001) Understanding European Foreign Policy. Houndmills: Palgrave.
Chapters 4, 5, 7 and 8.
Websites:
The European Union website provides a summary of EU external relations at:
http://europa.eu/pol/ext/index_en.htm
The European Union website provides a summary of EU external trade at:
http://europa.eu/pol/comm/index_en.htm
Essay question:
‘Politically a dwarf, economically a giant’. Is this a correct assessment of the EU’s role
in the world?
9. External Policies II: EU enlargement
The main questions to guide your reading are as follows:

How have the enlargements changed the EU?

Why is the fifth enlargement of the EU different from all the previous
enlargements?

Is enlargement necessary?
Essential reading:
Bache, Ian and Stephen George (2006) Politics in the European Union. Oxford: Oxford
University Press. Chapter 31 (‘Enlargement’, PP. 533-564).
Sedelmeier, Ulrich (2005) ‘Eastern Enlargement. Towards a European EU?’ in Helen
Wallace, Mark Pollack and William Wallace (eds) Policy-Making in the European Union
(5th edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chapter 16 (PP. 401-428)
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Further reading:
Cini, Michelle (ed) (2007) European Union Politics (2nd edition). Oxford: Oxford
University Press. Chapter 26.
Grabbe, Heather (1999) ‘A Partnership for Accession? The Implications of EU
Conditionality for the Central and Eastern Applicants’, Robert Schuman Centre Working
Paper 12/99, San Domenico di Fiesole (FI): European University Institute (Available at
http://www.cer.org.uk/pdf/grabbe_conditionality_99.pdf)
Mayhew, Alan (1998) Recreating Europe. The European Union’s Policy towards Central
and Eastern Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ANY OF THE FOLLOWING
CHAPTERS – OR ALL: Chapter 6 (‘Going beyond the Europe Agreements: the European
Union’s pre-accession strategy’, PP. 161-178), Chapter 7 (‘The costs and benefits of
enlargement’, PP. 179-199) and Chapter 15 (‘Strategies for accession’, PP. 358-390).
Schimmelfennig, Frank and Ulrich Sedelmeier (2002) ‘Theorising EU Enlargement:
Research Focus, Hypotheses, and the State of Research’, Journal of European Public
Policy, 9(4): 500-528.
Websites:
http://europa.eu/pol/enlarg/index_en.htm (Enlargement - Basic information from the
EU website)
http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/index_en.htm
Enlargement)
(European
commission
-
DG
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/rehn/index_en.htm
(Commissioner
Olli
Rehn’s website, Olli Rehn is the European Commissioner Responsible for Enlargement)
http://www.cer.org.uk/enlargement_new/index_enlargement_new.html (Centre for
European Reform, Enlargement section with information, briefings and papers, the
Centre for European Reform is a think tank based in London, pro-European and not
uncritical! Have a look!)
Essay question:
What is the conditionality principle in EU enlargement and is it important?
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10. Europeanisation
The main questions to guide your reading are as follows:

Is Europeanisation a useful concept?

Does Europeanisation indicate European integration?

Does Europeanisation impact on the convergence of national political institutions
and policy mechanisms?
Essential reading:
Bache, Ian and Stephen George (2006) Politics in the European Union (second
edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press. PP.58-65.
Börzel, Tanja and Ulrich Sedelmeier (2006) ‘The EU Dimension in European Politics’,
pp. 54-70 in Paul Heywood, Erik Jones, Martin Rhodes and Ulrich Sedelmeier (eds)
Developments in European Politics. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Cini, Michelle (ed) (2007) European Union Politics (2nd edition). Oxford: Oxford
University Press. Chapter 25.
Further reading:
Buller, Jim and Andrew Gamble (2002) ‘Conceptualising Europeanisation’, Public Policy
and Administration, 17(4): 4-24.
Cowles, Maria Green, James Caporaso and Thomas Risse (eds) (2001) Transforming
Europe: Europeanization and Domestic Change. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Chapter 1 (‘Europeanization and Domestic Change’ up to p. 20)
Featherstone, Kevin and Claudio Radaelli (eds) (2003). The Politics of Europeanization.
Oxford: OUP. [e-book] (especially Chapter 1 and Chapter 3).
Ladrech, Robert (2004) ‘Europeanization and the Member States’ in Maria Green
Cowles and Desmond Dinan (eds) Developments in the European Union 2.
Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Chapter 3 (PP. 47-64).
Radaelli, Claudio (2004) ‘Europeanization: Solution or Problem? European integration
online papers, Vol 8 available at http://eiop.or.at/eiop/texte/2004-016a.htm
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Websites:
www.arena.uio.no (ARENA is a research centre, Advances Research on the
Europeanisation of the Nation State and you can download papers on Europeanisation)
http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofPoliticsInternationalStudiesandPhilosophy/Rese
arch/PaperSeries/EuropeanisationPapers/PublishedPapers/#d.en.38069
(index of the research papers of the Institute for European Studies at the Queen’s
University, Belfast)
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~db=all~content=g902091279~tab=toc
(Special edition of the Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis on Europeanization
(2008) on New Research Direction, worth having a look)
Essay question:
Is Europeanisation a synonym of European integration?
Lecture 11. The democratic deficit of the EU – Lisbon, Ireland and the
Eurosceptics: EU 2010, EU 2020 and beyond.
The main questions to guide your reading are as follows:

Is there a EU democratic deficit?

What does the term Euroscepticism indicate?

How is the EU changing? (try to link this question to further enlargements,
developments in the decision-making process and theories of European
integration)
Essential readings:
Bache, Ian and Stephen George (2006) Politics in the European Union (second
edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press. PP. 65-77.
Cini, M. (ed) (2007) European Union Politics (2nd edition). Oxford: Oxford University
Press. Chapters 22 and 27 (and Chapter 23, if of interest).
Hooghe, Liesbet (2007) ‘What drives Euroskepticism? Party–Public Cueing, Ideology
and Strategic Opportunity’, European Union Politics, 8(1): 5-12.
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Further reading:
Bertrand, Gilles, Anna Michalski and Lucio R. Pench (1999) ‘Scenarios Europe 2010:
Five Possible Futures for Europe, Brussels, European Commission Forward Studies
Unit, available at http://ec.europa.eu/comm/cdp/scenario/scenarios_en.pdf
Kehoane, Daniel and Tomas Vasalek (2008) ‘Willing and able? EU defence in 2020’,
Centre for European Reform, available at http://www.cer.org.uk/pdf/e_2020_844.pdf
McCormick, John (2008) Understanding the European Union: a concise introduction
(4th edition). Houndmills: Palgrave. Chapter 6.
Nugent, Neill (2006). The Government and Politics of the European Union (6th edition).
London: Palgrave. Chapter 22.
Sapir, André (2005) ‘Globalisation and the reform of European Social Models’,
Background document for the presentation at ECOFIN Informal Meeting in Manchester,
9 September (drop by my office C 106 to get a copy for your photocopy)
Schmitter, Philippe C., 2000. How to Democratize the European Union...And Why
Bother?. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield. PP. 1-22.
Taggart, Paul and Aleks Szczerbiak (2001) ‘The Party Politics of Euroscepticism in EU
Member and Candidate States’, SEI Working Paper No. 51, Opposing Europe Research
Network
Working
Paper
No.
6,
available
online
at
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/sei/documents/wp51.pdf
Websites:
http://www.ceps.be/Article.php?article_id=168 (The Centre for European Policy
Studies, An Agenda for a growing Europe - making the EU economic system deliver)
http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/index_en.htm (Eu’s Eurobarometer website)
http://european-convention.eu.int/bienvenue.asp?lang=EN (Website of the European
Convention)
http://europapoort.eerstekamer.nl/9345000/1/j9vvgy6i0ydh7th/vgbwr4k8ocw2/f=/vh
vwh1wotunt.doc (State of Play of the Lisbon Treaty Ratification)
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/sei/1-4-10.html (online publications of the Sussex European
Institute, University of Sussex, where you can download papers on European
Parliament elections, EU referendums and working papers on the EU)
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Seminars:
Fortnightly tutorials provide students with the opportunity to discuss the
themes in greater detail. The topics covered in the tutorials follow those
lectures, but the fortnightly schedule means that there will not be a
correspondence between the two—students might encounter a topic in the
before it is covered in the lecture. The schedule below provides a guide for
preparation as well as the central questions that will be addressed.
lecture
in the
perfect
tutorial
tutorial
1. Why study the EU?

In which ways is the EU important for Britain?

What is specific about the EU in comparison with other instances of regional
integration?
2. Integration theories and the history of the EU:

Why are the 1960s and 1970s referred to as the ‘dark ages’ of integration?

What is qualified majority voting and why was its introduction so important and
contentious in the Union?

What were the reasons behind the revival of European integration from the mid1980s onwards? Who were the main actors?

To what extent is the revival of European integration since the mid-1980s actually
a deepening of integration?
3. The institutions of the EU:

How do the EU institutions work?

Which are the main decision-making procedures in the EU and what role do the
various institutions play in them?
4. EU Internal Policies: CAP and EMU;

Why is the reform of the Common Agriculture Policy so challenging for the EU?

What are the current challenges facing the CAP?

Which are the core mechanisms of EMU and what are their implications?

Does the Social Dimension adequately balance EMU?
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5. EU External Policies: CFSP and Enlargement;

To what extent is the EU a unitary actor on the international scene?

What are the problems of, and possibilities for, the establishment of a CFSP?

Why can we define the relationship between the EU and the candidate countries as
asymmetrical?

Can the EU enlarge further?
Method and Frequency of Class:
Activity
Lecture
Seminar
Number of Sessions
11
5
Day:
Time:
Duration of a Session
50 minutes
50 minutes
Mondays
2 to 3 p.m.
Method of Assessment:
This 10 credit module will be assessed on the following basis:
Assessment Type
Exam 1
Coursework 1
Weight
50 per cent
50 per cent
Requirements
1.5 hours
1 x 1,500 word essay
The assessed essays should be submitted to the School Office by Tuesday 21 April
2009. When submitting your essay please make sure that you write the name of your
seminar tutor on the top of the cover sheet, date stamp both the essay and the cover
sheet and then post in the filing cabinet situated by the lift in the School Office
reception. Essays handed in after 4pm will be stamped as late and usual University
penalties will be applied.
Any essay handed in after the deadline will have 5% of the original mark deducted per
working day, unless an extension has been approved in advance. Applications for
extensions will not normally be considered retrospectively. Any student wishing to
apply for an extension should collect and complete the necessary forms from the
School Office and submit these to the relevant Year Tutor together with any necessary
documentary evidence.
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Reading Information:
NB. The lecture notes will be posted on Web CT after the lecture. You can access the
internet classroom at
http://webct.nottingham.ac.uk/
General Reading
Bache, Ian and Stephen George (2006) Politics in the European Union (second
edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
McCormick, John (2008) Understanding the European Union: a concise introduction
(fourth edition). Houndmills: Palgrave.
Further Key Reading:
Cini, M. (ed) (2007) European Union Politics (2nd edition). Oxford: Oxford University
Press.
Nugent, Neill (2006). The Government and Politics of the European Union (6th edition).
London: Palgrave.
Wallace, H. W. Wallace and M.A. Pollack (2005) Policy-Making in the European Union
(5th edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Coursework Support:
The Hallward Library and Halls of Residence have a number of networked PCs to
facilitate access to information on holdings.
Guidance to Essay Writing:
A short guide for students on essay writing skills and an outline of the marking criteria
used by staff is available from the School Office and/or on the portal/intranet.
Assessed Essay Titles:
1. ‘States will only pool sovereignty if it is in their national interest to do so.’
Discuss in relation to the development of the EU.
2. Why was neo-functionalism the dominant approach in the early years of
European integration?
3. Why did the Treaty of Maastricht mark a milestone in creating a political union?
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4. The institutional architecture of the EU responds to the ever changing nature of
the EU itself. Discuss.
5. What are the challenges for the Common Agricultural Policy after the 2004 EU
enlargement?
6. What are the problems and possibilities of EMU?
7. ‘Politically a dwarf, economically a giant’. Is this a correct assessment of the
EU’s role in the world?
8. What is the conditionality principle in EU enlargement and is it important?
9. Is Europeanisation a synonym of European integration?
Sample Exam Paper:
The exam paper is divided into two sections, one section on the history and
institutions of the EU plus integration theories, the other on policy sectors including
Europeanisation. You have to answer one question of each section, i.e. two questions
overall.
Section 1:
1. ‘The European integration process remains fundamentally shaped by the
national governments’. Discuss!
2. To what extent can the years between 1966 and 1985 be described as
the ‘dark ages’ of European integration?
3. ‘Transnational interest groups of capital were the driving force behind the
Internal Market programme in 1985’. Discuss!
4. The EU Treaties have increasingly enhanced the role and influence of the EU
Parliament. Discuss.
Section 2:
5. Why do some member states resist Common Agricultural Policy reforms?
6. Were the political motivations behind EMU more important than the economic
considerations?
7. To what extent has the Common and Foreign Security Policy been successful as
an area of joint policy-making?
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8. Why did the 2004 EU enlargement represent the most challenging enlargement
of the EU?
9. How does the EU impact on domestic policy and politics of member states?
Discuss with reference to the concept Europeanisation.
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