ECTS - University of Pisa
| Modules | Area | Type | Hours | Teacher(s) | |
| THE EU AND ITS INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS | IUS/14 | LEZIONI | 21 |
|
This course is held in English in the second semester. The course has the aim to present the way the European Union interacts with third countries and international organizations in the international community, considering its ‘sui generis nature’. Students attending the course are expected to have knowledge of the way the EU institutions work and of international law. The course will:
The students who successfully complete the course will be able to know:
Students are required to attend no less than 90% of the classes and to read in advance the reading material. The participation to the discussion in class, which is possible only if students read the material before coming to the class, is highly appreciated and is part of the student’s assessment.
The course presumes knowledge of international law and a basic understanding of EU institutional law.
The course is necessary to better understand the EU external relations especially for students who have never studied EU law.
The course will be taught through a combination of lectures and interactive class discussion, based on the discussion of the reading materials. Relevant materials will be uploaded on the e-learning platform. Students will receive in advance the relevant reading materials to prepare for classes. Lectures will provide the general framework for understanding the topics and class discussion will help the development of critical skills. Students must be prepared to discuss actively in class.
The course will examine the EU (political) institutions that shape the EU external action (the Commission, the Parliament, the Council, the European Council and the European External Action Service); the objectives of the EU external action, the legal personality of the Union and the way the EU institutions; the way the Treaty making powers are exercised and the procedure leading to the adoption of international agreements. Two external policies will be examined: the Common Commercial Policy and the Common Foreign and Security Policy.
List of topics
Topic 1. The legal nature of the EU and an overview of the EU political institutions (3 hours)
Topic 2. The objectives and principles of the EU external action (2 hours)
Topic 3. The EU competences and the external representation of the EU in international organizations (3 hours)
Topic 4. The Treaty making power: the exercise of the EU external competences (3 hours)
Topic 5. The procedure to conclude international agreements in CFSP and in areas different from CFSP (3 hours)
Topic 6. EU common commercial policy (CCP): objectives, scope and challenges in light of the WTO crises (4 hours)
Topic 7. The Common Foreign and Security Policy (3 hours).
The syllabus and the compulsory reading material of the course (i.e. book chapters, Journal articles or documents of various nature published by the EU institutions) will be uploaded on the teaching platform of the department of political science.
10% participation to class’s discussion;
90% oral exam.
