The course looks at the European integration from a contextual and politico-economic perspective, using methods from economics, political science, and sociology. It has four main parts:
• An institutional and historical part, looking at motives for economic integration across borders, alternative theories of integration, the evolution of the European Union, from the Marshall to the current crisis situation
• A policy part, looking at the main areas of European policymaking, including monetary and fiscal integration, competition policy, common agricultural policy, industrial policy, trade policy, economic cooperation, regional policy, social policy and labor markets, energy policy, environmental policy
• A part looking at individual country experiences, to reflect upon the national and regional foundations of Europe and upon the effect of Europe on the regional and national levels.
• A part that looks at the current state of the European Union