Course Information

This course offers an introduction to European integration. It analyzes the process of European integration since the Second World War and examines basic institutions, policies, and issues of the European Union (EU). The course is composed of three main parts. In the first part, it reviews the origin and historical development of European integration. This part will include some key historical issues such as the Marshall Plan, the German problem and the emergence of the European Communities. The first part will also examine the treaty framework of the European integration, including the Treaties of Rome, the Maastricht Treaty, the Treaty of Amsterdam, the Treaty of Nice, and the Constitutional Treaty. The second part of the course is about the politics of the EU. In this part the theoretical approaches of the European integration will be examined such as  neofunctionalism and intergovernmentalism. In the second part, also, the major institutions of the EU, such as the European Commission, the Council of Ministers, the European Parliament, and the Court of Justice will be explained. The third part of the course will focus on some specific policies and issues of the EU and the integration process. This section will include the enlargement process, the external and internal affairs, and the monetary issues.