Enlargement of the EU
4 credits
Jiří Holub
tel/fax: 222315365
jiri@holub.cz
Class Time:
Monday: 14,00-15,35
Wednesday: 15,00-16,35
Office hours: by appointment
Course description:
The very existence and the radical enlargement of the European Union is
becoming one of the defining events of the early twenty-first century. This
course will focus on different aspects of European integration process.
The students will get acquainted with history and ideology of European
unification process which still play an important role in both philosophical
and political discussions of many Europeans. The emergence and
transformation of political institutions is the essential part of the class. The
collapse of communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe 1989 posed
new challenges, culminated in the decision to massively enlarge which has
presented new problems: the necessity to write a comprehensive Treaty
for Europe. The analysis of the new Reform Treaty for Europe and the
process of its ratification will be one of the central parts of the course.
Special attention will be dedicated to the new institutions of the EU.
Course objectives:
By the end of this class the students will be able to outline not only the
history and the motives of the emergence of the EU on European
continent, but also to analyse different present and upcoming political and
economic events. Due to the enlargement in May 2004 (10 new countries)
and in January 2007 (Romania, Bulgaria) and the decisions of the last
summits of the EU, the students will be able to describe political and
economic developments in some new member states. The students will
specifically be capable to interpret the external policies of the EU.
The students will be able to discuss the issues arising from the ratification
process of the new Reform Treaty for Europe, as well as the debates on
the future enlargement of the EU (finality of European integration
process).
Requirements:
General interest in European politics and in integration studies is
expected. The course is based on active participation. The teacher will
help the students choose and work on their final paper paying respect to
their major and minor studies. Advice will be offered concerning individual
travel plans in Europe. Readings will be assigned every week and
discussed subsequently.
Class attendance is mandatory.
The midterm test (app. 30 minutes) will be written in the classroom in the
middle of the program. The midterm test will test basic acquaintance with
the issues discussed in the first half of the program.
The final written exam in the classroom (app. 30 minutes) will test basic
acquaintance with the issues discussed in the second half of the program.
The final paper (8-10 pages) will will be handed over for evaluation in the
last week of the program. The selection of the topic will start by the end of
March, the teacher will help with respective sources or interview persons.
Assessment:
The grading will be based on attendance and participation in the
discussions, midterm essay, final written exam and final paper, including
the presentation of the paper in the class.
 Class attendance and active participation: 20%
 Midterm essay: 20 %
 Final written test: 20%
 Final Paper (including the presentation in the class): 40 %
Bibliography:
Due to the present controversial discussions about the future course of
the European integration the students will be continuously offered EU
Press release, interviews with politicians, newspaper articles and studies
in academic journals.
 Ash, Timothy Garton: Free World. Penguin Books, 2004
 New Reform Treaty for EU. EU Information Centre in Prague,
2004
 Gillingham, John: European Integration 1950 - 2003. Cambridge
University Press, 2003
 Kenney, Padraic: A Carnival of Revolution in Central Europe
1989. Princeton University Press, 2002
 Pagden, Anthony (edit.): The Idea of Europe. Cambridge U
Press, 2002
 Wilson, Kevin, and van der Dussen, Jan (eds.): The History of
the Idea of Europe. London, 1993
Recommended newspapers and periodicals:
 Perspectives. Review of Central European Affaires. Published in:
Institute of International Relations, Prague
 Prague Business Journal. Prague
 The Prague Post (English-speaking weekly), Prague
Weekly structure of the course:
The readings will be recommended and assigned to every lesson. The
lecturer will prepare and distribute selected articles.
1st week
Introduction to the course. The relation between European
studies and the studies of the EU. International organizations
and theories of integration. European geopolitics.
Terminology and bibliography.
The history of the idea of Europe. Historical survey of the
attempts to organize Europe.
2nd week
History of European integration process 1945 - 1989:
Economic reconstruction and Cooperation. Fathers of Europe:
Winston Churchill and others. Security and the Cold War. The
3
rd
week
4th week
5th week
6th week
7th week
8th week
9th week
10th week
11th week
12th week
road from Rome 1957 to Maastricht 1991/92.
The road from Rome 1957 to Maastricht 1991/92. The
Maastricht treaty.
The challenges of 1989: The decision to enlarge towards
Central and Eastern Europe and the consequence: Radical
discussions on the limits of the EU. The controversy between
eurooptimists and eurosceptics. EU enlargement policy. The
discussions about the " finality " of the EU. Overcoming the
division of Europe.
The case study: Cyprus
The institutional framework of the EU and its history: the
European Council, the European Commission, the European
Parliament, European Court of Justice.
The results of the elections to European Parliament in June
2004 and resulting questions.
The elections in June 2009.
Selection of the topics for the final papers.
Mid-term test.
The questions linked to the ratification process of the new
Reform Treaty for Europe in the member states. French and
Dutch referendums concerning the former Constitution for
Europe.
Evaluation of the midterm test
Economic policies of the EU: the EU budget, Single market
and Single currency, Agricultural policy, Regional policy,
Environmental policy.
Transitional conditions for the new member states. The
perspective of the future enlargement:
Croatia, Turkey. The question of the province of Kosovo.
Foreign and security policy of the European Union.
Reading: The Reform Treaty – selected pages concerning the
CFDP.
External economic relations. Relations with the United States.
Relations with the Russian Federation.
The CAP - The Common Agricultural Policy
The former Constitution for Europe 2004. Main issues of the
present discussions: federal or confederal Europe ? The
future of the ratification process – Reform Treaty Process.
Reading: Survey of international press articles published in
November 2009 regarding the EU ( selected press articles will
be prepared and distributed by the professor).
Final written exam.
European citizenship and identity ? Opinions of some
prominent European thinkers.
Presentation of the final papers.
Evaluation of the course.