Content

In this general obligatory course mainly those aspects are raised which have a broad social relevance. A political-scientific approach namely aspires neither a encyclopaedic comprehensiveness nor juridical technicity, but first and foremost spends attention on the interaction between the policy levels in the establishment of standards and implementing policy agreements. The policy frames offered from the EU are very much partly conceived by the member states themselves. These mutual influence processes are therefore as central in this course as the overview of the European actors and the formal decision-making procedures.
The first part of this course discusses the 'constitutional' foundation of the EU: the political principles and the judicial principles on which the EU is based, but also the characteristic elements of the so-called communal method. Special attention goes to the contemporary question about the demarcation of the authorities and assignments between the Union and its member states, including the subnational actors with constitutional status.
The second part gives an overview of the main institutions: the Commission, the (Minister) council, the European Council (of heads of state and government leaders) and the Court of Justice. Attention is always spent on the recent developments within the institution itself and especially on their mutual combined action.
The formal decision processes feature in the third part. In the first place this affects the various legislation procedures and the role and influence of the involved actors. But the combined action between Commission and Council with the implementation of this legislation, the so-called Comitology, merits attention as well. Finally it is investigated which role is reserved (or can be reserved) for a contribution from the national parliaments.
The fourth part of this course focuses on a specific political-scientific analysis of the decision-making processes: how is the consensus, or at least a majority position, reached in the Minister Council, and already beforehand in the COREPER preparation deliberation and, even earlier on, in the numerous work groups of Commission and/or Council? Which role do the individual member states play in this respect and on which grounds and in which way do they determine their national positions? On the basis of a number of striking case studies a more general insight is aspired into the contribution of the member states in the European decision-making process.

Aims

• To offer knowledge and insight in the nature and functioning of the EU, the institutions and the policy of the EU.
• To sharpen the analytical ability using a set of conceptual frames.
• To sharpen the critical attitude concerning European integration, the EU and the European policy; scientific and non-scientific analyses of the EU; our own thinking about the EU.
• Offering insight in the area of tension between the theory and practice of European integration.
• To place the EU and the European integration process in a broader whole of other structures and processes.

Description of learning activities

Lectures

Course material

• Neill NUGENT, The Government and Politics of the European Union (Palgrave, 2006, 630 pp.)
• Additional literature (through Toledo)
• Website "Exploring the European Union" (K.U.Leuven)
• Current events