European Economic Policy

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

The course aims at analysing the economic issues related to the process of European integration through a theoretical and a policy perspective. Through the study of economic integration theories and the main EU policies, students are able to acquire a critical perspective of the basic issues leading to the development of the European Institutions and the different historical phases of the European Union, ultimately giving birth to the Economic and Monetary Union. The course is composed of three parts. The first part of the course is devoted to the study of the theory of economic integration, considering the market of goods (customs unions, free trade areas), of factors of production (common markets) and the co-ordination of economic policies (economic union). A link is made between the theoretical instruments and the actual evolution of the European integration process. The second part explores the main European policies (common objectives , instruments and financial means), their evolution over time and the corresponding mechanisms of governance. The third part of the course is centred on the Economic and Monetary Union and its effects for the European economy.