Economics of European and International Integration
Code: 40889 ECTS Credits: 15| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4313791 European Integration | OT | 0 | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Rosella Nicolini
- Email:
- rosella.nicolini@uab.cat
Teaching groups languages
You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject. Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2023.
Teachers
- Jordi Bacaria Colom
- José Luis Roig Sabaté
- Riccardo Turati
External teachers
- Altres professors/otros profesores/other professors
- Elisa Trujillo Baute
- Juan González
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of economics and European integration process.
Objectives and Contextualisation
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.
Competences
- Analyse, synthesise, organise and plan projects and assignments related to the area of study.
- Communicate and justify conclusions clearly and unambiguously to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
- Continue the learning process, to a large extent autonomously
- Identify European macroeconomic policies and instruments of economic coordination and governance (specialisation in Economic Integration).
- Integrate knowledge and use it to make judgements in complex situations, with incomplete information, while keeping in mind social and ethical responsibilities.
- Recognise the financial instruments of the EU and their effect on the design and implementation of the various European policies (specialisation in Economic Integration).
- Seek out information in the scientific literature using appropriate channels, and use this information to formulate and contextualise a research topic.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyse, synthesise, organise and plan projects and assignments related to the area of study.
- Assess the effectiveness of the different financial instruments.
- Classify the different financial instruments used by the EU.
- Communicate and justify conclusions clearly and unambiguously to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
- Continue the learning process, to a large extent autonomously
- Critically assess the effectiveness of the different economic policies with conceptual precision.
- Detect the outcomes of implementing the different policies.
- Integrate knowledge and use it to make judgements in complex situations, with incomplete information, while keeping in mind social and ethical responsibilities.
- Seek out information in the scientific literature using appropriate channels, and use this information to formulate and contextualise a research topic.
Content
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
Methodology
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
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Lectures and tutorials | 108 | 4.32 | 1, 9, 7, 3, 6, 8, 4, 5, 2 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Participation in complementary activities (presentations...) | 20 | 0.8 | 1, 8, 5, 2 |
| Preparation of assignments | 44 | 1.76 | 9, 7, 3, 4 |
| Seminar | 15 | 0.6 | 1, 9, 7, 3, 6, 8, 5, 2 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Individual learning | 188 | 7.52 | 1, 9, 7, 3, 6, 8, 4, 5, 2 |
Assessment
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.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active participation in class | 10 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Case-study analysis and other types of assigment | 30 | 0 | 0 | 1, 9, 7, 3, 6, 8, 4, 5, 2 |
| Exams | 50 | 0 | 0 | 1, 7, 3, 6, 8, 4, 5, 2 |
| Presentation and participation in seminars and debates | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1, 9, 7, 3, 6, 8, 4 |
Bibliography
Basic References:
- Baldwin, R. and Ch. Wyplosz (2022): Economics of European Integration, 7th Edition, Mc Graw Hill.
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).