The European Union as an Area of Freedom Security and Justice

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Set as a new objective of the European Union (EU) by the Treaty of Amsterdam, the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ) has since proven to be one of the most dynamic EU policy-making domains. It now encompasses key individual policies addressing fundamental concerns of European citizens: police cooperation, judicial cooperation in criminal and civil matters, border management, visa and asylum policies etc. This seminar will analyze the progressive development of the AFSJ by providing insights on 4 main questions: How and to what extent has the AFSJ been integrated? Who are the individual and collective actors contributing to that policy domain? Which theories and concepts help us to understand the creation and evolutions of the AFSJ? What are the key reforms, debates and controversies of the individual AFSJ policies?