1. Introduction
1.1 ‘The four worlds of European Integration’
What can you study when you study the EU and/or European Integration?
1) Integration of states (International Relations): Chapter 1
o Why are sovereign states willing to share (not transfer!) sovereignty and work together?
Integration process into EU NOT what is EU
Why would states give up their right to decide everything?
• Theoretical: international relations theory = studies the
relations between members (states)
• “why does a system exists?”
o Looks at the behavior of sovereign states
Multi-level political world
o You need theories (through the lens of international relations)
o Promoting European integration by federalism, functionalism
2) Functioning of the European Union / EU Governance (Comparative Politics) Chapter 2
o “How does this international regime work?” And how is it established? Who has
what power
o You do not need international relations, you need mainstream comparative
politics
o How does the EU produce policies? (procedures (ID), policy outcomes, ..) -> how do they use
this institution to function on diff fields: migration, trade, economy, …
o Explaining integration through different theories: neofunctionalism, intergovernmentalism,
liberal intergovernmentalism, post-functionalism
o Analyzing EU as a political system by diff visions/theories: new institutionalism, governance,
multilevel governance, etc
3) Impact of the European Union on member states (Comparative Politics) Cha
3
o Deals with the top-down relations
o What does the EU do with its member states?
o Deals with the domestic politics of the states, so you only need comparative
politics
o Member states are not allowed to make their own decisions when the EU has
already made policies
o Analyzing consequences of this system: Europeanization, politicization,
euroscepticism, disintegration -> resistance to integration
4) Critique and construction of European integration (critical theory) Chapter 4
o Why do these ideologies predominate in the EU? Where does power lie within
the EU? In whose interest does the EU act and with what political and social
consequences? Obv these theories: social constructivism, critical integration
theory, critical political economy, critical social theory, gender approaches, post-
structural approaches (from a feminine, dekolonisation perspective, etc)
,1.2 Four ‘generations’/questions of EU studies of
scholars
What we’re doing in this course can be based on 4 questions
- Four ‘generations’ of EU studies:
o ‘Bottom up’: theories from International Relations try to explain
Why do (sovereign) states integrate and build supranational structures?
(Neo-)Functionalism, Liberalism, Intergovernmentalism
How does the EU work? (for the answer: look at mainstream
politics theories)
o ‘Within’: theories from Comparative Politics try to understand the
functioning and the output (governance) of the European Union as a political
system - --- - Policy Analysis, (new) Institutionalism, multilevel governance, …
o ‘Top down’: Europeanization tries to explain how and to what extent the
EU integration process has got an impact on the member states
Impact of the EU on the domestic policies of the member states of
the EU
• Europeanisation, policy evaluation, new institutionalism
‘Outside’: critical theories aim to (de-)construct and problematise European
integration, provide normative accounts, and critically explain European policies
o Discourse, gender, critical social theory, critical economy
1.3 Integration versus functioning of the EU
(we discussed this slide briefly):
- History of European Integration:
o Questions: - what is the degree of integration? - why do sovereign
states integrate?
o Theory: - theories from International Relations / European
integration (functionalism, liberal intergovernmentalism, ...)
- Functioning of the EU / EU as a political system / EU governance
o Questions: - how does EU decision-making work? - who determines
policy contents?
o Theory: - theories from comparative politics (institutionalism,
policy networks, multi-level governance, ...)
1.4 Learning objectives
- Basic knowledge regarding of European integration: theory, history, institutions
and policy domains
- Application of academic literature and primary sources on European integration
- Development of arguments on concrete statements about European integration
and EU politics
Achievements?
- What are according to you the major achievements of the EU?
o No major and minor conflict between the member states of the EU
, (stability and peace, no more war) -> Reason why integration started
o Human rights (Freedom, democracy, …: EU pretends to be a democracy,
rule of law, freedom of speech)
o Schengen-area: free movement within the EU: more competition, innovation, prices
down -> wealth due to economic growth
o Economic trade: single market (Free movement of goods, …
(economic goods)) 4 freedoms (people, goods, services and
capital)
o Euro common currency: as a prime dimension of the single market <> inflation
o Normative power: Values and norms of EU (equality, rule of law, democracy,
…) Export to rest of the world (Ex. If EU only wants to trade with countries
that promote fair trade)
o Climate change: Environmental policy (EU law)
o Erasmus scholarships
o Social and health security
Challenges?
- What are according to you the most pressing challenges for the EU?
o Russia, China, USA, …
o Migration- and asylum (refugees)-policies (external policy + defense)
o Inequality
o Trade (related to the relationship with China and the USA)
o Economic challenges
o Health policies (we will not discuss this during this course)
o Climate challenges
o Brexit (eurosceptisism)
o Corruption
o EU acting not sufficiently as one force on a global level -> diff views of member states
slow down negotiations on important topics such as climate change!
European (Dis)Integration?
- Political parties who are criticizing the EU (eerder rechtse partijen)
o Europe is abducted by nationalism and populism (cartoon in ppt with
bull (bull is Zeus and he’s abducting (ontvoeren) Europe)
Outline (schema) lessen:
- Theories of European Integration
- History of European Integration
- Enlargement
- Theories of European Governance
- Institutional Architecture of the EU
- Budget and Redistributive Policies
- EMU and Economic Governance
- Single Market and Competition Policy
- External Policies
- Justice and Home Affairs Policies
- Guestlectures ( member of EU parlement + diplomat)
,
1.1 ‘The four worlds of European Integration’
What can you study when you study the EU and/or European Integration?
1) Integration of states (International Relations): Chapter 1
o Why are sovereign states willing to share (not transfer!) sovereignty and work together?
Integration process into EU NOT what is EU
Why would states give up their right to decide everything?
• Theoretical: international relations theory = studies the
relations between members (states)
• “why does a system exists?”
o Looks at the behavior of sovereign states
Multi-level political world
o You need theories (through the lens of international relations)
o Promoting European integration by federalism, functionalism
2) Functioning of the European Union / EU Governance (Comparative Politics) Chapter 2
o “How does this international regime work?” And how is it established? Who has
what power
o You do not need international relations, you need mainstream comparative
politics
o How does the EU produce policies? (procedures (ID), policy outcomes, ..) -> how do they use
this institution to function on diff fields: migration, trade, economy, …
o Explaining integration through different theories: neofunctionalism, intergovernmentalism,
liberal intergovernmentalism, post-functionalism
o Analyzing EU as a political system by diff visions/theories: new institutionalism, governance,
multilevel governance, etc
3) Impact of the European Union on member states (Comparative Politics) Cha
3
o Deals with the top-down relations
o What does the EU do with its member states?
o Deals with the domestic politics of the states, so you only need comparative
politics
o Member states are not allowed to make their own decisions when the EU has
already made policies
o Analyzing consequences of this system: Europeanization, politicization,
euroscepticism, disintegration -> resistance to integration
4) Critique and construction of European integration (critical theory) Chapter 4
o Why do these ideologies predominate in the EU? Where does power lie within
the EU? In whose interest does the EU act and with what political and social
consequences? Obv these theories: social constructivism, critical integration
theory, critical political economy, critical social theory, gender approaches, post-
structural approaches (from a feminine, dekolonisation perspective, etc)
,1.2 Four ‘generations’/questions of EU studies of
scholars
What we’re doing in this course can be based on 4 questions
- Four ‘generations’ of EU studies:
o ‘Bottom up’: theories from International Relations try to explain
Why do (sovereign) states integrate and build supranational structures?
(Neo-)Functionalism, Liberalism, Intergovernmentalism
How does the EU work? (for the answer: look at mainstream
politics theories)
o ‘Within’: theories from Comparative Politics try to understand the
functioning and the output (governance) of the European Union as a political
system - --- - Policy Analysis, (new) Institutionalism, multilevel governance, …
o ‘Top down’: Europeanization tries to explain how and to what extent the
EU integration process has got an impact on the member states
Impact of the EU on the domestic policies of the member states of
the EU
• Europeanisation, policy evaluation, new institutionalism
‘Outside’: critical theories aim to (de-)construct and problematise European
integration, provide normative accounts, and critically explain European policies
o Discourse, gender, critical social theory, critical economy
1.3 Integration versus functioning of the EU
(we discussed this slide briefly):
- History of European Integration:
o Questions: - what is the degree of integration? - why do sovereign
states integrate?
o Theory: - theories from International Relations / European
integration (functionalism, liberal intergovernmentalism, ...)
- Functioning of the EU / EU as a political system / EU governance
o Questions: - how does EU decision-making work? - who determines
policy contents?
o Theory: - theories from comparative politics (institutionalism,
policy networks, multi-level governance, ...)
1.4 Learning objectives
- Basic knowledge regarding of European integration: theory, history, institutions
and policy domains
- Application of academic literature and primary sources on European integration
- Development of arguments on concrete statements about European integration
and EU politics
Achievements?
- What are according to you the major achievements of the EU?
o No major and minor conflict between the member states of the EU
, (stability and peace, no more war) -> Reason why integration started
o Human rights (Freedom, democracy, …: EU pretends to be a democracy,
rule of law, freedom of speech)
o Schengen-area: free movement within the EU: more competition, innovation, prices
down -> wealth due to economic growth
o Economic trade: single market (Free movement of goods, …
(economic goods)) 4 freedoms (people, goods, services and
capital)
o Euro common currency: as a prime dimension of the single market <> inflation
o Normative power: Values and norms of EU (equality, rule of law, democracy,
…) Export to rest of the world (Ex. If EU only wants to trade with countries
that promote fair trade)
o Climate change: Environmental policy (EU law)
o Erasmus scholarships
o Social and health security
Challenges?
- What are according to you the most pressing challenges for the EU?
o Russia, China, USA, …
o Migration- and asylum (refugees)-policies (external policy + defense)
o Inequality
o Trade (related to the relationship with China and the USA)
o Economic challenges
o Health policies (we will not discuss this during this course)
o Climate challenges
o Brexit (eurosceptisism)
o Corruption
o EU acting not sufficiently as one force on a global level -> diff views of member states
slow down negotiations on important topics such as climate change!
European (Dis)Integration?
- Political parties who are criticizing the EU (eerder rechtse partijen)
o Europe is abducted by nationalism and populism (cartoon in ppt with
bull (bull is Zeus and he’s abducting (ontvoeren) Europe)
Outline (schema) lessen:
- Theories of European Integration
- History of European Integration
- Enlargement
- Theories of European Governance
- Institutional Architecture of the EU
- Budget and Redistributive Policies
- EMU and Economic Governance
- Single Market and Competition Policy
- External Policies
- Justice and Home Affairs Policies
- Guestlectures ( member of EU parlement + diplomat)
,
