Economics and European Integration
Live Session: Mondays, 7 - 9 p.m. CET (Berlin time)
Duration: Aug. 30 - Nov. 29, 2021
Language of Instruction: English
Contact Hours: 30
ECTS Credits: 6
What is today’s role of the European Union? After decades towards greater integration, economic relationships have recently become more fragile. Examples of the rise of disintegration include tendencies of secession and the exit of countries from international institutional arrangements. In view of strong interdependencies between economic actors, these disruptions seem to be particularly costly and may require appropriate policy responses.
This course introduces the main economic aspects of the current development of the European Union (EU) and its policies. The basic idea is to discuss general issues in economic integration with a strong emphasis on experiences in Europe. After reviewing the institutional, political and historical background of European integration, the main focus is on the economic analysis of the policies and prospects for the European Union and its economic impacts on individuals, firms and regions.
Some recent developments in the international policy agenda like sovereign debt crises, Brexit and the euro crisis will also be covered.