POLITICS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
Dr. Karolina Pomorska
May 2024
,LECTURE 1 – INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE.......................................................................................3
LECTURE 2 – HISTORY OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION...........................................................................4
PART I..................................................................................................................................................................4
PART II.................................................................................................................................................................8
PART III..............................................................................................................................................................11
LECTURE 3 & 4 – THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION...................................................................................14
PART I................................................................................................................................................................14
PART II – DIFFERENT ROLES OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION........................................................16
PART III – INITIATOR OF LAW......................................................................................................................17
PART IV – POLITICAL OR “TECHNOCRATIC”?..........................................................................................18
PART V – HOW DOES THE COLLEGE OF COMMISSIONERS WORK?...................................................19
LECTURE 5 – THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION.....................................................................20
PART I – REPRESENTING THE MEMBER STATES.....................................................................................20
PART II...............................................................................................................................................................23
PART III..............................................................................................................................................................24
LECTURE 6 – THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL...................................................................................................27
PART I................................................................................................................................................................27
PART II...............................................................................................................................................................29
PART III..............................................................................................................................................................30
LECTURE 7 – EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT....................................................................................................31
LECTURE 8 – DECISION-MAKING IN THE EUROPEAN UNION............................................................33
PART I................................................................................................................................................................33
PART II...............................................................................................................................................................34
PART III..............................................................................................................................................................37
LECTURE 9 & 10 – EUROPEAN UNION’S EXTERNAL RELATIONS AND DIPLOMACY..................39
PART I................................................................................................................................................................39
PART II...............................................................................................................................................................41
PART III..............................................................................................................................................................43
PART IV.............................................................................................................................................................45
PART V...............................................................................................................................................................47
PART VI.............................................................................................................................................................48
LECTURE 11 – THEORIES AND EUROPEAN INTEGRATION..................................................................50
PART I................................................................................................................................................................50
PART II...............................................................................................................................................................53
PART III..............................................................................................................................................................55
2
,LECTURE 1 – INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE
The European Union is somewhere between a state and an international organisation
Is the EU an unidentified political object?
Three levels of politics:
- Domestic politics in the member states
- EU politics: mainly in Brussels
- International politics: e.g. EU in the UN, EU-Japan strategic partnership
These boundaries are blurred
3
, LECTURE 2 – HISTORY OF EUROPEAN
INTEGRATION
PART I
Why should we even study history?
Early ideas about European integration
The road to Rome (1945 – 1957)
Why should we even study history?
- Important to our understanding of the EU because it provides the context (e.g. to an in-
depth analysis of Brexit or to understand the powers of different institutions)
- Crucial in order to propose useful and realistic solutions to problems: many of them
are historically rooted and we don’t want to repeat the past mistakes
- Some theories explicitly refer to history, e.g. historical institutionalism (e.g. “path-
dependence”)
What is the EU?
4
Dr. Karolina Pomorska
May 2024
,LECTURE 1 – INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE.......................................................................................3
LECTURE 2 – HISTORY OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION...........................................................................4
PART I..................................................................................................................................................................4
PART II.................................................................................................................................................................8
PART III..............................................................................................................................................................11
LECTURE 3 & 4 – THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION...................................................................................14
PART I................................................................................................................................................................14
PART II – DIFFERENT ROLES OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION........................................................16
PART III – INITIATOR OF LAW......................................................................................................................17
PART IV – POLITICAL OR “TECHNOCRATIC”?..........................................................................................18
PART V – HOW DOES THE COLLEGE OF COMMISSIONERS WORK?...................................................19
LECTURE 5 – THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION.....................................................................20
PART I – REPRESENTING THE MEMBER STATES.....................................................................................20
PART II...............................................................................................................................................................23
PART III..............................................................................................................................................................24
LECTURE 6 – THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL...................................................................................................27
PART I................................................................................................................................................................27
PART II...............................................................................................................................................................29
PART III..............................................................................................................................................................30
LECTURE 7 – EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT....................................................................................................31
LECTURE 8 – DECISION-MAKING IN THE EUROPEAN UNION............................................................33
PART I................................................................................................................................................................33
PART II...............................................................................................................................................................34
PART III..............................................................................................................................................................37
LECTURE 9 & 10 – EUROPEAN UNION’S EXTERNAL RELATIONS AND DIPLOMACY..................39
PART I................................................................................................................................................................39
PART II...............................................................................................................................................................41
PART III..............................................................................................................................................................43
PART IV.............................................................................................................................................................45
PART V...............................................................................................................................................................47
PART VI.............................................................................................................................................................48
LECTURE 11 – THEORIES AND EUROPEAN INTEGRATION..................................................................50
PART I................................................................................................................................................................50
PART II...............................................................................................................................................................53
PART III..............................................................................................................................................................55
2
,LECTURE 1 – INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE
The European Union is somewhere between a state and an international organisation
Is the EU an unidentified political object?
Three levels of politics:
- Domestic politics in the member states
- EU politics: mainly in Brussels
- International politics: e.g. EU in the UN, EU-Japan strategic partnership
These boundaries are blurred
3
, LECTURE 2 – HISTORY OF EUROPEAN
INTEGRATION
PART I
Why should we even study history?
Early ideas about European integration
The road to Rome (1945 – 1957)
Why should we even study history?
- Important to our understanding of the EU because it provides the context (e.g. to an in-
depth analysis of Brexit or to understand the powers of different institutions)
- Crucial in order to propose useful and realistic solutions to problems: many of them
are historically rooted and we don’t want to repeat the past mistakes
- Some theories explicitly refer to history, e.g. historical institutionalism (e.g. “path-
dependence”)
What is the EU?
4
