Important notice
The course guide is provisional.
The PDF version of the course guide may take a few days to become available in the DDD.
The Economics of European and International Integration
Code: 40889Credits: 15
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| European Integration | OP | 0 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Rosella Nicolini
- Email :
- rosella.nicolini@uab.cat
Teaching staff
- Jordi Bacaria Colom
- Javier Asensio Ruiz De Alda
- Riccardo Turati
- José Luis Roig Sabaté
- Albert Gragera Llado
Teaching staff (external to UAB)
- Marta Arespa
- Mariateresa Silvi
- Juan González
- Altres professors/otros profesores/other professors
- Juan A. Piedra Peña
- Nestor Düch
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of economics and European integration process.
Objectives
This course will introduce students to the main issues of social, economics and politics of European integration by using an economic approach. The course addresses key economic questions that arise from the process of integration.
The student will be guided by the most up-to-date political debate on European integration. By the end, students will be able to apply and relate conceptual and theoretical knowledge that underpins the course of the economic and political process of European integration.
Objectives of the course: understanding
- the Economic integration at European and international level.
- the European Union's economic policies.
- the new European economic governance.
The module begins with the economic theory of integration and the theory of optimal monetary areas. Then, an analysis of European Economic and Monetary Union, the internal market and the decision-making of the European institutions follows.
The various sessions of this module will be devoted to EU policies: from competition policy to external trade policy, via internal policies, agricultural policy, regional policy and social policy.
Learning outcomes
- Continue the learning process, to a large extent autonomously
- Seek out information in the scientific literature using appropriate channels, and use this information to formulate and contextualise a research topic.
- Analyse, synthesise, organise and plan projects and assignments related to the area of study.
- Integrate knowledge and use it to make judgements in complex situations, with incomplete information, while keeping in mind social and ethical responsibilities.
- Communicate and justify conclusions clearly and unambiguously to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
- Classify the different financial instruments used by the EU.
- Assess the effectiveness of the different financial instruments.
- Detect the outcomes of implementing the different policies.
- Critically assess the effectiveness of the different economic policies with conceptual precision.
Contents
a) Institutions:
- Geography & History of European Union (EU): the economic value of the EU.
- The different integration steps: organization and socioeconomic role of the European Institutions. Economic Governance (ECB; European Court of Auditors; European Public Prosecutor’s Office…) Socioeconomic challenges.
b) Economics:
- Trade policies: tariffs and import protection. The open strategic autonomy and globalization.
- Implications to Foreign Businesses: state aid, competition, mergers and antitrust policies.
- Telecommunication market.
- Energy market.
- European imbalances: core-periphery structure. The EU regional policies
- The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
- Economic and Monetary Union and Banking Union
- The challenge of the EU Integration: Growth and Stability Pact, Sovereign Debt and Financial market development. The EMU Financial crises.
c) Social issues
- EU Labor Market Rigidity: Labor integration
- Social security schemes
- Ageing: pension programs
- Migration and refugees
d) Sustainability
- Environmental challenges.
- Green transition in EU
- Smart cities
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminar | 15 | 0.6 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 |
| Preparation of assignments | 44 | 1.76 | 2, 5, 6, 8 |
| Participation in complementary activities (presentations...) | 20 | 0.8 | 1, 3, 4, 7 |
| Lectures and tutorials | 108 | 4.32 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 |
| Individual learning | 188 | 7.52 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 |
The teaching of the module will be mostly in presence (in class) although a few classes or seminars by invited experts may be by remote.
The teaching format includes:
- Lectures
- Seminars
- Presentations
- Discussions
- Tutorials
- Other activities
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case-study analysis and other types of assigment | 30 | 0 | 0 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 |
| Exams | 50 | 0 | 0 | 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 |
| Presentation and participation in seminars and debates | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 |
| Active participation in class | 10 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
The class attendance is compulsory. The continuous evaluation options require to (i) attend at least 80% of classes and (ii) participate to all evaluation activities.
The option of unique assessment is not available for this course.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
In this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks, such as search for references or other information, text correction, or translations. The student must clearly identify which parts have been generated using this technology, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these have influenced the process and the final outcome of the activity. If the student fails to disclose the use of AI in any of the activity subject to evaluation will be considered a lack of academic integrity with a partial or total penalization for the grade of the activity.
Bibliography
Basic References:
- Baldwin, R. and Ch. Wyplosz (2022): Economics of European Integration, 7th Edition, Mc Graw Hill (available online UAB Library)
References in Economics:
- Burda, M. and Ch. Wyplosz (2005): Macroeconomics: A European Text, Oxford University Press.
- Feenstra, R. and A.Taylor (any edition): International Economics, Worth Publisher.
- Krugman, P., Melitz, M. and M. Obstfeld (any edition): International Economics: Theory and Policy, Addison Wesley.
Other references:
- Brunnermeier, Markus, Harold James, and Jean-Pierre Landau (2016), The Euro and the Battle of Ideas, Princeton UP.
- Celi, Giuseppe et alii (2018),, Crisis in the European Union. A Core-periphery Perspective, Routledge.
- da Costa Cabral, Nazaré (2021), The European Monetary Union after the Crisis, Routledge
- Eichengreen, Barry (2018): The Populist Temptation: Economic Grievance and Political Reaction in the Modern Era, Oxford UP.
- European Commission. Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs (2022), Convergence Report 2022, European Union Publications Office.
- Lechner, Frank J, and John Boli (eds.) (2020), The Globalization Reader, 6th edition, Wilwy-Blackwell.
- Wallace, Hellen, Mark A. Pollack and Alasdair R. Young (2015): Policy-Making in the European Union, 7th edition, Oxford UP.
Software
Basic knowledge of these softwares: spreadsheet (like MS Excel) and text writing (live MS Word).
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TEm) Theory (master) | 1 | English | first semester | afternoon |