Introduction to the European Union

Temelji Evropske unije

Course credits:

6.00 ECTS / 60 (20 hours of lectures, 20 hours of exercises, 20 hours of seminars, 0 hours other forms of work)

Course holder:

izr. prof. dr. Jelena Juvan

Type:

Required

Language:

Slovenian

Semester:

Second semester

Study degree

1. level

Course execution:

• Undergraduate Programme of Defence Studies
• Undergraduate Programme of International Relations

Prerequisits:

Students are allowed to participate in the course provided that they have completed the enrolment procedure.

Objectives and competences

The objectives of the course are: - To present to students knowledge of the basic concepts of the EU as an international governmental organizations and as a political system. - To illustrate and explain to students the historical process of EU integration as a context of current political developments. - To explain to students the EU political process and enable them a basic analysis of individual EU policies by application of decision-making processes in the EU (as the basis for the course in the European integration module). - To clarify the EU institutional architecture in the case of Slovenian stakeholders’ participation in the EU institutions. Competences, acquired by students: - preparation of short written assignments, - analysis and synthesis of individual events and processes in the history of EU integration, - written and oral expression, - the ability to discuss and work in a team.

Content (Syllabus outline)

1. The EU as a regional international governmental organization and / or political system, thus sui generis entity; role of intergovernmental integration. 2. Overview of experiments and ideas of the (West) European cooperation and integration after World War II and the placement of the EU in these processes. From the initial idea, to the (sectoral) deepening and (territorial) enlargement. 3. Treaty framework: basic treaties of the European Communities and the EU, relations between them, the evolution of legal personality. 4. Institutional framework: institutional development of the European Community and the EU, their powers, roles, structure, voting rules and practice, internal organization and operation. The role and importance of other relevant actors in the EU. 5. Political process: Agenda-setting and formulation, decision-making and implementation of EU secondary law. 6. EU law: the diversity of EU legal acts, their nature, control of implementation, Court of Justice. 7. EU policies: internal policies (regulatory, redistributive, coordinative), EU external action (EU external relations and EU foreign policy). Examples of policies. 8. Representation of Slovenian national interests and interests of the society within EU institutions.

Intended learning outcomes:

Student: - defines the basic concepts of the EU as an intergovernmental organization and as a political system - identifies peculiarity of the EU as a sui generis entity, - understands historical process of the EU as a context for current political events, - identifies individual EU policies and is capable of application of decision-making process onto an EU policy, - applies the EU institutional framework to the case of Slovenian actors’ participation in the EU institutions.

Learning and teaching methods:

Lectures, tutorials, seminars and individual and group work with teacher.

Assessment

Final mark consists of: - mark of two written mid-term exams or a written final exam (60 %) - mark of two short tests in tutorials (20 %) - mark for active participation in the simulation (10 %), individual work or work in groups in seminar in the form of short assignment (10 %). Prior to taking a final examination students should have scored at least 50 % of points from tutorials (exercises). A positive final mark is subject to 50 % of points at the exam (2 mid-terms or final exam).

Obligatory literature

Additional literature