IREb1005 European Integration

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 8 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Vratislav Havlík, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Petra Kuchyňková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Vratislav Havlík, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Supplier department: Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Prerequisites (in Czech)
! IRE105 European Integration && !NOW( IRE105 European Integration )
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course is aimed for IRE students and is focused on the more detailed knowledge of the European integration process. In general it is focused on the origin, establishment and development of the EC\EU, observes the main documents, milestones and analyses their importance. The course deals with the chronological line beginning with the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community and finishing with the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty and the problems of the post-Lisbon EU. In the end of the course the students will be able to understand the concrete consequences of the political decisions of the member states, including the possible basic reform goals. The enlargement of the EC\EU is also discussed in a basic way. The reading of the original documents and their partial analyses are part of the course. The structure of the course is as following: Lectures, seminars, one mid-term test and and the final test.
Learning outcomes
Describe and explain the main changes of the European integration process from 1950´s to the present times (the years following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty). To be able to read and search in the EC/EU primary law. To acquire the basics of the analysis of the key phenomena and events in the history of the EC/EU integration process. To be able to present the results of the analysis in the class.
Syllabus
  • Structure of the lectures: • 1. Organizational instructions • 2. Ideas of the united Europe and integrating attempts in the first half of 20th century, the beginning of modern European integration: ECSC, path towards the EEC and EURATOM • - Briand’s plan and the USE • - Richard Nikolaus Coudenhove-Kalergi and the Paneuropean group • - Attempts of French-English and French-German convergence • - Centers of the democratically united European idea during WW2 • - 2. Marshall plan and OEEC • - The threat of the Soviet Union and the Pact of Brussels • - The Council of Europe • - Federalist groups after WW2 and the Haag Congress 1948 • - The Pleven’s plan • - The Schuman plan • - The negotiations in Messina and preparation for EC • - The establishment of the ECC • 3. EEC in work, problems of the integration process in the 1960s, Luxembourg compromise • - EFTA • - The Fouchet plan of a European political union • – The Community is blocked by the Luxembourg compromise, the Eurosclerosis, finding a way out of the crisis, the deepening of the integration, the summit of Haag and its contributions • 4. Termination, deepening and enlargement I. • The recovery of the integration and its Eastern and Southern enlargement and the deepening of the integration – budget treaties, the Werner plan, the Davignon report, conditions of accession, the British problem, the Fontainebleau Agreement, the Dooge Committee, the Adonnin report, the plans of the Delors Commission, the White Book about the internal market, the Schengen Agreement, the Delors report, the Social Charta • The Single European Act •5. Seminar I. 6. Establishment of the European union and the northern enlargement • – double intergovernmental conference, the Treaty of the EU, Maastricht, opt-outs, the EU citizenship • 7. The Treaty of Amsterdam • - mechanism of constructive abstention, flexible – empowered cooperation, basic values of the Union and their protection, institutional reforms with regard to the enlargement to Central and Eastern Europe • The Treaty of Nice and the accession process of Central and Eastern Europe • – the candidates, defense of values, reform, the importance of the enlargement to Central and Eastern Europe, its treaty, main changes • 8. Seminar II. 9. The discussion of the future of Europe I. The Treaty Establishing the Constitution for Europe • – Laeken, Convent mandate, its structure and roles, formation of the European constitution • 10. The discussion of the future of Europe II., path towards The Lisbon Treaty and its contents • 11. LS ratification process, the EU and the problems of the integration process after the ratification of The Lisbon Treaty. 12. Seminar III. 13. Seminar IV. The tasks and discussions in the seminars deal with the development of EC/EU primary law (Treaty Establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, Treaty Establishing the European Economic Community, Treaty Establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, The Single European Act, the Maastricht Treaty, the Amsterdam Treaty, The Treaty of Nice and The Lisbon Treaty) and with the analysis of basic phenomena and problems connected with the development of European Integration process.
Literature
    recommended literature
  • WIENER, Antje and Thomas DIEZ. European integration theory. 1st pub. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004, xvi, 290. ISBN 0199252483. info
  • HOLMES, Martin. European integration : scope and limits. 1st pub. Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2001, ix, 242. ISBN 0333914465. info
Teaching methods
The course is based on lectures, seminars and individual work with the study recourses.The reading of the original documents and searching in the EC/EU primary law are part of the course. The structure of the course is as following: Lectures, seminars, mid-term test and the final test.
Assessment methods
The course is finished by an examination. The mid-term test, the participation at the seminars and the seminar assessments are the conditions for the access to the examination. Students may achieve this on the basis of the shown activity. It includes mid-term test based on the the studied literature and the lectures and 4 seminar tasks. The literature for the subject will be placed in the section “Study materials” in IS. The exact conditions of the point evaluation for the tests and workshops will be published in the section “Study materials”. The topics and particular tasks for the seminars will be published there as well.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
Information on course enrolment limitations: This course is not available for exchange students.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2025/IREb1005