Research in EU Integration and Governance

Professor Uwe Puetter, PhD

Department of Public Policy, Central European University

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Office: TBC

“Research in EU integration and governance”

PhD class – 4 credits

Winter Term 2014

Course objectives

This class aims at preparing students for independent and advanced-level research in the field of European integration studies. It targets students who already have a good knowledge of EU policy-making both at an empirical and theoretical level. The course provides access to core debates in European integration studies by critically reviewing existing research in the light of new empirical findings. The course pays particular attention to the challenges of combining the theoretical frameworks and methodological tools of different disciplines in EU studies, and to how concepts and research perspectives developed mainly in the pre-enlargement context can be applied to the politics and policies of the EU-27 and/or require modification. In this the class aims at helping students to advance their own conceptual and empirical research frameworks and to situate themselves and their respective research projects in the wider disciplines of European integration studies.

The course develops core analytical and theoretical skills and specifically aims at preparing students for a career in academia and/or in leadership positions in policy-making related to European affairs.The course is based on an interactive teaching methodology targeted at a small group seminar. Students obtain responsibility for acting as lead speakers on specific topics and practise peer review. To this end the course applies a number of formats which are characteristic of the future academic and/or professional environment of students such as panel discussion, presenter/discussant model, short lecture format, policy briefings and round table discussions.

Learning outcomes

At the outcome of this course students will have the ability to critically apply core theories and research perspectives in European integration theory to different empirical contexts in an innovative manner, thus contributing both to empirical and theoretical innovation. They will have developed an understanding of core conceptual, methodological as well as empirical challenges with regard to researching a range of different issues in contemporary EU governance and policy. Moreover, students will be able to apply a number of core academic practices and will have developed oral and written presentation skills which are required for communicating the results of complex and advanced-level studies to different audiences (academic, professional expert setting, interested public).

This course will contribute to the development of a new generation of researchers with a strong analytical potential, thus helping innovation in the field of European integration studies both in research and teaching. Those students aiming for a career in EU policy practice will be able to both produce and make use of complex theoretical and empirical studies in applied and practical contexts.

Teaching schedule (TBC)

Thursdays, 11.00 – 12.40 hrsFridays, 09.00 – 10.40 hrs

Session formats

The course sessions follow different formats. Each format requires students to provide a specific type of input.

Study Reviews

1 lead presenter/ 2 discussants

The purpose of a Study Review is to substantially engage with a major research in EU studies which would typically be accessible as a research monograph (in exceptional cases a collection of articles). The research should have been influential in shaping our understanding of a particular issue in EU integration (governance, policy, integration process) and the way how we and others approach new research (theory, perspective, method).

The lead presenter prepares the reference study for discussion (20 min presentation) and also develops a set of comments on what in their view the study contributes to the field of European studies in general and more specifically to a particular sub-field or issue area. What contemporary issues in European integration could be studied best with the outlined research framework?

For each reference study two competing research approaches will be identified which are accessible in the format of a journal article or book chapter. Each discussant presents a short (!) summary one of these articles and develops argument on which aspects the approaches differ (10-15 min).

Please note that a Study Review is composed of two course sessions. The relevant dates are indicated in the course schedule below. The first session is always dedicated to the lead presentation and the required reading. Discussants present in the second session.

Academic Practice Seminars

2-3 rapporteurs

This format addresses issues of academic practice such as teaching, networking, fundraising and dissemination by referring to practical resources of researchers and teachers. For each session rapporteurs will prepare short background information (10 min presentation) for class discussion.

Course requirements and workload

Class participation is mandatory for this class. Students missing more than two sessions per class might not receive a passing grade for this course. The successful completion of the course requires active participation in the class sessions. As this is a research class the emphasis is on interactive class discussions, the review of research approaches, the preparation of larger texts and regularly scheduled student presentations.

Students will need to complete areview paper (3500 words) at the end of this class. The review paper engages with a particular study and critically discusses it. Papers can be related to the topic of the lead presentation given in class. Please agree your review paper topic with the course director until November22, 2013. The final review paper needs to be submitted electronically through the course website by January 6, 2014 (by the end of the day CET).

Please note that paper deadlines are final and failure to submit in time will automatically result in a reduced or failing grade.

Individual students need to act as:

-lead presenter x2

-discussant x3-4

-rapporteur x1

Your final grade will be composed of the grade of your research paper (50%), your accumulated grade from acting as LP/D/R (35%)and your participation in general class discussion (15%).

All written work for this class must be properly referenced, with a standard form of citation used. You must also include a bibliography of all works referred to. All written contributions need to be original, i.e. produced exclusively by the student who submits the work. References to all other sources must be clearly indicated following accepted academic standards. Any text reproduction which is not clearly identified will have to be considered as plagiarism and, consequently, the submitted work will be acknowledged with no more than 0% of the mark. In such a case your work will be submitted to the responsible academic committee for academic dishonesty of your respective department and/or the university.

Readings for this class

All readings for this course are available through the CEU library. Most readings are available in electronic format. This includes book chapters. You can access the library’s e-book holding by visiting the relevant bibliographic entry of the publication in the main library catalogue. You need to be on campus or connect via VPN to the CEU network.

Students can also access most readings viathe “files” folder on the course website (see below).

Access to the course website on CEU e-learning

For accessing the course website on the CEU e-learning platform you will need to contact the course director by e-mail. You then receive your enrolment key for this course.

Literature

As a PhD course, this class builds on active participation and the research interests of its members. The selection of readings is not limited to the suggestions which appear in the course outline. The reading list will be discussed and revised in regular intervals. Required readings are posted on the e-learning platform ( Please check it each time before you prepare for individual classes! – If you cannot log in please contact the course director for your course enrolment password.

Materials will be made available through the e-learning platform or can be found through the online resources of the CEU library. In order to facilitate access to frequently used hardcopies of books from the CEU library a special book collection has been created for this class in the CEU library.

There are compulsory textbooks for this class as we deal with a wide range of research topics and participants are expected to have previously studied the EU policy-making context. Familiarity with core issues in European integration research, concepts and theories as well as the EU’s institutional architecture is required. Three reference textbooks have been selected below, each representing state-of-the art knowledge in a specific area of EU integration studies. A list of the most commonly cited journals is provided as well. Please check them out regularly.

Reference textbooks (see the book section of this class in the CEU library)

Hix, S. (2005). The political system of the European Union. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.

Shackleton, M. and J. Peterson (2006). The institutions of the European Union. Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Wiener, A. and T. Diez (2009). European integration theory. Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Craig, P. and De Búrca, G. (2007) European Union Law: Texts, Cases and Materials. Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Journals (all available at CEU)

Comparative European Politics

European Political Science Review

European Union Politics

Journal of Common Market Studies

Journal of European Integration

Journal of European Public Policy

European Law Journal

European Law Review

Common Market Law Review

2013/09/26

Introduction: Research in EU integration and governance

During this session you need to sign up for lead presentations, the role of discussant and rapporteur during the individual class sessions.

The session introduces the format of a “study review” and helps you to plan and set up your own study reviews and contributions as a “discussant”.

2013/09/27

Studying of political integration – back to the roots!

Haas, E.B. (1968), The uniting of Europe. Political, social, and economic forces 1950-1957 (Stanford, California: Stanford University Press).

-chapter 1

-chapter 2

2013/10/03 and 2013/10/04

Study Review I –The community method and the centrality of regulatory politics

Reference study (required reading):

Majone, G. (2010), Dilemmas of European integration. The ambiguities and pitfalls of integration by stealth (Oxford: Oxford University Press).

-chapter 3, The community method

-chapter 7, Positive and negative integration

-chapter 10, The future of the Union

Access the full book via the CEU network:

Lead presenter:

Our "discussants" (further reading - required for lead presenters):

Scharpf, F.W. (2006), 'The joint-decision trap revisited', Journal of Common Market Studies, 44 (4), 845-864.

Discussant 1:

Scharpf, F.W. (2002), 'The European social model: coping with the challenges of diversity', Journal of Common Market Studies, 40 (4), 645-670.

Discussant 2:

2013/10/10 and 2013/10/11

Study Review II – Soft governance and policy coordination

Reference study (required reading):

Armstrong, K. (2010). Governing Social Inclusion: Europeanization through Policy Coordination. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

- chapter 1

- chapter 6

Lead presenter:

Our "discussants" (required reading):

Daly, M. (2007). Whither EU social policy? An account and assessment of developments in the Lisbon social inclusion process. Journal of Social Policy, 37 (1), 1-19.

Discussant 1:

Borrás, S. & Jacobsson, K. (2004). The open method of co-ordination and new governance patterns in the EU. Journal of European Public Policy, 11(2), 185-208

Discussant 2:

2013/10/17 and 2013/10/18

Study Review III - Understanding institutional change in the EU

Reference study (required reading):

Héritier, A. (2007). Explaining institutional change in Europe. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
- chapter 3, 5-66

Lead presenter:

Our "discussants" (further reading - required for lead presenters):

Neyer, J. (2006), 'The deliberative turn in integration theory', Journal of European Public Policy, 13 (5), 779-791.

Discussant 1:

Bulmer, Simon J. (1998): New Institutionalism and the Governance of the Single European Market, in: Journal of European Public Policy, 5 (3), 365-386.

Discussant 2:

2013/10/24 and 2013/10/25

Study Review IV–How member states negotiate policy in the EU

Reference study (required reading):

Tallberg, J. (2006), Leadership and negotiation in the European Union (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).

-chapter 2, pp. 17-42

-chaper 4, pp. 82-111

Lead presenter:

Our "discussants" (further reading - required for lead presenters):

Puetter, U. (2012), 'Europe's deliberative intergovernmentalism - the role of the Council and European Council in EU economic governance', Journal of European Public Policy, 19 (2), 161-178.

Discussant 1:

Lewis, J. (2010), 'How institutional environments facilitate cooperative negotiation styles in EU decision-making', Journal of European Public Policy, 17 (5), 648-664.

Discussant 2:

2013/10/31

Academic Practice Seminar 1: Networks and institutions: research centers and professional organisations in the field of European studies

Presenters will select research centers or think tanks working on European integration topics, as well as professional organisations. Professional organisations in this case are networks and organisations of academics and professionals working in the field of European integration. Examples for research centers and think tanks are Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) or the Centre for European Reform, the think tanks Bruegel and Notre Europe. Examples for professional networks and academic organisations are the University Association for Contemporary European Studies (UACES), the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR), the European Union Studies Organization (EUSA) and the Council for European Studies.

Presenter 1:

Presenter 2:

2013/11/01

Academic Practice Seminar 2: Teaching European integration studies: under-graduate and post-graduate

Presenters will introduce examples of English language degree programs in European Studies with a particular focus on EU policy-making (there needs to be at least one example for a BA and MA program respectively). Please introduce and review the academic and organisational features of each program in turn and discuss their relevance for future careers in academia, policy practice and the private sector.

Presenter 1:

Presenter 2:

THIS SESSION REQUIRES EXTRA SCHEDULING (REPLACES TEACHING IN WEEK 1)

Academic Practice Seminar 3: Text books in European integration studies: under-graduate and post-graduate

Presenters will review of major textbook used as a teaching resource in degree programs focussing on EU studies. What are core textbooks suitable for either the BA and MA level or both? What are key book series and publishers relevant to the field? What other sources will you use for teaching (official, unofficial, academic, non-academic, media)?

Presenter 1:

Presenter 2:

2013/11/07 and 2013/11/08

Study Review V – EU integration and civil society

Reference study (required reading):

Kohler-Koch, Beate: The three worlds of European civil society – What role for civil society for what kind of Europe?, in: Policy and Society, Vol. 28, No. 1, pp. 47-57.

Lead presenter:

Our "discussants" (required reading):

Pérez-Solórzano Borragán, N. (2006), Post-communist interest politics: A research agenda, in: Perspectives on European Politics and Society 7(2), pp. 134-154.

Discussant 1:

Saurugger, S. (2010), Interest Groups and Democracy in the European Union, in: Beyers, J./ Eising, R./ Maloney W. A. (eds.), Interest Group Politics in Europe, London: Routledge,pp. 172 - 200.

Discussant 2:

2013/11/14 and 2013/11/15

Study Review VI – Law, institutionalisation and integration

Reference study (required reading):

Weiler, J.H.H. (2003), 'In defence of the status quo: Europe's constitutional Sonderweg', in Joseph H.H. Weiler and Marlene Wind (eds.), European constitutionalism beyond the state (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).

Weiler, J.H.H. (1982), 'The community system: the dual character of supranationalism', Yearbook of European Law, 1, 257-306.

Lead presenter:

Our "discussants" (required reading):

Armstrong, K.A. (1998), 'Legal integration: theorizing the legal dimension of European integration', Journal of Common Market Studies, 36 (2), 155-174.

Discussant 1:

Fligstein, N./ Stone Sweet, A. (2001), 'Institutionalizing the Treaty of Rome', in Alec Stone Sweet, Wayne Sandholtz, and Neil Fligstein (eds.), The institutionalization of Europe (Oxford: Oxford University Press), 29-55.

Discussant 2:

2013/11/21 and 2013/11/22

Study Review VII – Studying the role of norms in EU policy-making

Reference study (required reading):

Wiener, A. (2008), The invisible constitution of politics. Contested norms and international encounters (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).

-chapter 3, pp. 37-58

-chapter 4, pp. 59-86

Lead presenter:

Our "discussants" (required reading):

Schimmelfennig, F. (2001), 'The community trap: liberal norms, rhetorical action, and the Eastern enlargement of the European Union', International Organization, 55 (1), 47-80.

Discussant 1:

Manners, I. (2002), 'Normative power Europe: a contradiction in terms?', Journal of Common Market Studies, 40 (2), 235-258.

Discussant 2:

2013/11/28

Meet a policy practitioner

This session will feature a presentation by a policy practitioner working in Brussels or within a national capital who has profound experience with EU policy-making. The presentation is followed by a small-group discussion. The session helps you to learn about a key issue in contemporary EU governance and prepares you for your future research as well as a professional career in the field.

2013/11/29 and2013/12/05

Study Review VIII – Studying compliance with EU standards and policy provisions

Reference study (required reading):

Falkner, G./ Treib, O./ Hartlapp, M./ Leiber, S. (2005), Complying with Europe? The Impact of EU Minimum Harmonisation and Soft Law in the Member States, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

-chapter 1

-chapter 2

-chapter 15

Lead presenter:

Our "discussants" (required reading):

Toshkov, Dimiter (2007), In search of the worlds of compliance: culture and transposition performance in the European Union, Journal of European Public Policy 14(6), pp. 933-959.

Discussant 1:

Tallberg, Jonas (2002): Paths to Compliance: Enforcement, Management, and the European Union, International Organization 56, 3, Summer 2002, pp. 609 –643.

Discussant 2:

2013/12/06

Concluding session: European integration theory and the future of the discipline

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