Course title

European Economic Integration

Code

 INT 310

Professor

Elena Makrevska Disoska, PhD

Course objectives (competences): 

The objectives of this course are to:

• introduce students to the historical process of economic integration in Europe;
• distinguish the phases of regional integration of the European Union;
• understand the functioning of the EU by analyzing its internal and external policies;
• provide a broad understanding of Europe`s place in the world;
• increase students’ awareness and understanding of current economic issues and challenges regarding the Union.

Course content:

The course should provide basic knowledge on EU regional integration processes (from a custom union to an economic and monetary union), as well as the characteristics and challenges of each phase of the integration. The course provides comprehensive analysis of the internal and the external policies of the EU. Internal policies are considered through a horizontal (regional development, social policy, competition policy) and a sectorial approach (industrial policy, transport policy, agricultural policy). As EU is as an important global actor in the world, special focus is given to its common external policies, especially to the Common Trade Policy, including the preferential agreements with the developing countries; the newly emerging market economies and the relations with the major competitors of the EU – the United States and China. The final chapter gives critical assessment of the perspectives and challenges of the future of the EU.