COURSE INFORMATION Course Title: POLITICS AND INSTITUTIONS IN THE EU

Code	Course Type	Regular Semester	Theory	Practice	Lab	Credits	ECTS
PIR 203	B	3	2	2	0	3	5

Academic staff member responsible for the design of the course syllabus (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature)	Dr. Avdi Smajljaj asmajljaj@epoka.edu.al
Main Course Lecturer (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours:	Dr. Avdi Smajljaj asmajljaj@epoka.edu.al
Second Course Lecturer(s) (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours:	NA
Language:	English
Compulsory/Elective:	Compulsory
Study program: (the study for which this course is offered)	Bachelor in Political Science and International Relations (3 years)
Classroom and Meeting Time:
Teaching Assistant(s) and Office Hours:	NA
Code of Ethics:	Code of Ethics of EPOKA University Regulation of EPOKA University "On Student Discipline"
Attendance Requirement:
Course Description:	The course aims to introduce students to the theories of integration; historical developments of EU integration; EU governance structure including its institutional structure, decision making and policy making; processes and actors; analytical approaches; as well as policies such as: agricultural policy, trade policy, foreign and security policy, environmental policy, enlargement policy, etc.
Course Objectives:	The course aims to introduce students to the theories of integration; historical developments of the EU integration; EU governance structure including its institutional structure, decision making and policy making; processes and actors; analytical approaches; as well as policies such as: agricultural policy, trade policy, foreign and security policy, environmental policy, enlargement policy, etc. Furthermore, a particular attention will be paid to new developments in the process of European integration like Brexit and its impact on the future developments in the EU.

BASIC CONCEPTS OF THE COURSE

1	EU integration process
2	EU institutions
3	EU decision making and policy making
4	EU enlargement process
5	EU policies
6	EU integration theories

COURSE OUTLINE

Week	Topics
1	Introduction to the course. Introducing to the students the syllabus, content, learning outcomes, reading materials, evaluation criteria, and other course policies.
2	Historical development of European integration including Brexit and its aftermath. The students will be introduced to the historical and chronological developments of the European integration from the context of the integration development, the initial stages, first treaties and communities, later treaties and developments up to the latest treaty and current developments of integration process (Cini 9-52).
3	Theories of European integration; Europeanisation. The students will be introduced to the main theories of integration: neo-functionalism and intergovernmentalism. Moroever, the theories of governance will also be applied to the case of the EU integration. The issue of democracy and legitimation are also covered in this lecture. At the end the concept of Europeanisation will be introduced to the students (Cini 53-140).
4	EU governance: Institutions and Actors I. The students will be introduced to the institutional and decision making anatomy of the EU. The main institutions are covered: the commission, the European Council and the Council of the EU, the European Parliament, and the EU Courts system (Cini 141-200).
5	EU governance: Institutions and Actors II. The students will be introduced to the interest representations and the public opinion in the EU within the decision making and policy making process (Cini 201- 232).
6	Policy making in the EU. The students will be introduced to the unique policy making models of the EU. The models derived from the analogy of states policy making models yet applied in non-state settings such as the EU. It will be examined if the EU fits to the federal or confederal features, as well as its specific policy making models like: distributive model, regulatory model, transgovernmental model, and community model (Cini 233-252).
7	Enlargement Policy. The students will be introduced to the development of the policy, tools and actors involved, criteria issued to the accession countries, and the steps involved in the accession process. Particular attention will be paid to the current developments and dynamics within the enlargement process (Cini 266-280).
8	The European Union's Foreign, Security, and Defense Policies. The students will be introduced to the development of the CFSP, actors , institutions, and decision making process. Particular attention is paid on the relation between CFSP and the foreign policy of member states, how they get along with each other. Moroever, also the issue of the international challenges on the CFSP and its reflection on the internal dynamics is covered. The development of defense and security dimension is also covered (Cini 281-295).
9	Midterm
10	The Single Market; Trade and Development Policy. The students will be introduced to the four freedoms in the single market, how the single market is regulated within the EU (Cini 295-309). Students will be introduced to the main trade policy actors and institutions, policy tools and instruments, the role of the EU in the trade policy and its level of integration in this policy (Cini 253-265).
11	The CAP. The students will be introduced to the development of the policy, its tools and instruments, actors and decision and policy making process. Particular attention will be paid to the contradiction of the policy and reforms (Cini 358-372).
12	Environmental Policy. The EU's social dimension. The students will be introduced to the actors of the policy, decision and policy making process, how the policy is regulated, and also the role of the EU at the global level on the issue of the environmental protection. (Cini 373-383). In the second part of the class the students will be introduced to the role of the EU on the social dimension aside from the role of the member states in this policy (Cini 310-322).
13	The Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice. Economic and Monetary Union. The students will be introduced to the issue srelated to security, freedom and justice, their level of integration within the EU (Cini 323-342). In the second part of the class students will be introduced to the the economic and monetary union, the role of the European central bank in the monetary policy, policy tools and instruments (Cini 343-357).
14	Course revision

Prerequisite(s):	No
Textbook(s):	Cini, M. & Nives, P.B. 4th Edition. 2022. European Union Politics. Oxford University Press, Oxford; Wallace, H. & Wallace, W. & Pollack, M. A.(Ed.). 6th Edition. 2015. Policy Making in the European Union. Oxford University Press, Oxford Lilieveldt, H. & Princen, S. 2011. The Politics of the European Union. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Blanke, H. & Mangiameli, S. 2012. The European Union after Lisbon: Constitutional Basis, Economic Order, and External Action. Springer, Heidelberg http://europa.eu
Additional Literature:
Laboratory Work:
Computer Usage:
Others:	No

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

1	Understand the EU integration process from a theoretical point of view
2	Synthesize theories of European integration
3	Identify the role, function, and organization of the EU institutions
4	Reflect in a critique way on the EU - member state relationship on a policy making process in various policies
5	Think independently and follow developments in the EU integration process

COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO... PROGRAM COMPETENCIES (Blank : no contribution, 1: least contribution ... 5: highest contribution)

No	Program Competencies	Cont.
Bachelor in Political Science and International Relations (3 years) Program
1	Having and using advanced knowledge and comprehension supported by textbooks including actual knowledge in political sciences and international relations literature, materials and the other scientific resources.	4
2	Analyzing data, ideas and concepts of current political issues and international relations, determining complex events and topics, making discussions and developing new suggestions in accordance with researches.	5
3	Having knowledge and thought about actual topics and problems together with their historical, social and cultural aspects.	5
4	Introducing those who are interested in politics and international events with the topics of Political Science and IR and teaching clearly the problems and the types of solutions.	3
5	Improving skills of working together with the main social science disciplines and other disciplines which are related to Political Science and International Relations.	3
6	Improving critical thinking and skills in making research independently.	4
7	Developing solutions about the problems and conflicts which are common in national and international arena.	3
8	Improving skills for leadership and research and analyze capacity of those who is responsible with national and international ones.	4
9	Knowing any foreign language enough to communicate with colleagues and understand actual researches and articles.	4
10	Gaining IT skills to use computer and technology) in order to reach actual knowledge.	2
11	Gaining skills to follow societal, scientific and ethic values during collecting, interpreting, conducting of data related to social and political developments.	4
12	Having consciousness about human rights and environment.	5
13	Gaining the skills to follow actual developments and pursue long-life learning.	5

COURSE EVALUATION METHOD

Method	Quantity	Percentage
Midterm Exam(s)	1	30
Project	1	25
Final Exam	1	35
Attendance		10
	Total Percent:	100%

ECTS (ALLOCATED BASED ON STUDENT WORKLOAD)

Activities	Quantity	Duration(Hours)	Total Workload(Hours)
Course Duration (Including the exam week: 16x Total course hours)	14	3	42
Hours for off-the-classroom study (Pre-study, practice)	14	3	42
Mid-terms	1	10	10
Assignments	1	11	11
Final examination	1	20	20
Other			0
Total Work Load:			125
Total Work Load/25(h):			5
ECTS Credit of the Course:			5

CONCLUDING REMARKS BY THE COURSE LECTURER