EVS412 Constitutional revisions of the EU

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2011
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Markéta Pitrová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Markéta Pitrová, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Timetable
Wed 2. 11. to Fri 16. 12. Wed 14:00–17:40 U33
  • Timetable of Seminar Groups:
EVS412/Lisabon: No timetable has been entered into IS.
EVS412/1953: No timetable has been entered into IS.
EVS412/1984: No timetable has been entered into IS.
EVS412/2000: No timetable has been entered into IS.
EVS412/2003: No timetable has been entered into IS.
EVS412/2004: No timetable has been entered into IS.
Prerequisites
The course is meant to broaden the knowledge about the “constitutional modifications” of the EU-treaties. The course implies intensive interaction of the students by working with the documents of the treaties when writing the papers. The aim of the course is the discussion of the individual versions and more precise the following of their development and a comparison of the versions.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 25 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/25, only registered: 0/25
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course is aimed at the study and analysis of basic constitutional revisions of the European Union. During the intodructional part of the course the students will face the problem of constiutionalization and the theoretical aspects of the given question. After this the students will cope with the individual cases of revision of the treaties with focus on the reasons for their creation, their content and their background. The aim of the course is the understanding of the constitutional revisions in the EU and interpretation of the development of the particular treaties documents. The student will be able to work with the EU official documents. Further information of the course are in the interactive sylabus.
Syllabus
  • Introduction
  • Process and importance of the constitutionalisation of the EU. What kind of constitutions do we distinguish? Which elements do the studied documents have? History of constitutional interventions and the importance of the documents. Preparation of constitutional documents. Explanations of differences, advantages and disadvantages of the procedure.
  • Analysis of the documents I.
  • Procedures, motivation, mandates and content of the following documents: Draft Treaty founding the EPC, The Treaty of European Union 1984 – federal constitutional project. Analysis of the documents.
  • Analysis of the documents II.
  • Procedures, motivation, mandates and content of the following documents: Project of the treaties simplification of the institute in Florence, The European Constitution 2004. Analysis of the documents.
  • Analysis of the documents III.
  • Procedures, motivation, mandate and content of following documents: The European Constitution 2004 and Lisbon Treaty.
  • Sectional research of constitutional documents I.
  • The structure of the document and the characteristic of the text, main aims and values (defense and control mechanism), the source of legitimization of the document, the procedure of ratification, the reform process, the position of the European law and institutions.
  • Sectional research of constitutional documents II.
  • The relation between the European communities and the new entity, the linking to international organizations, the procedure of ending the contracting relation/the possibility of exclusion from the community, the enlargement of the member base, the role of national parliaments, financial sources.
  • Sectional research of constitutional documents III.
  • The decision-making mechanism and the functioning of the institutional bodies, the partial influence of the members, (in)dependence of the national authority, competences and legislative tools, the balance of power – independence of the institutions, compatibility of the functions.
Literature
  • Ústava pro Evropu. Edited by Jindřiška Syllová - Lenka Pítrová - Magdaléna Svobodová. Vyd. 1. Praha: C.H. Beck, 2005, xxvii, 730. ISBN 8071799009. info
  • KRÁL, David, Lenka PÍTROVÁ and Ivo ŠLOSARČÍK. Smlouva zakládající Ústavu pro Evropu : komentář. Praha: Institut pro evropskou politiku Europeum, 2004, 105 s. ISBN 8090323731. info
  • PITROVÁ, Markéta. Konventní proces a vytváření ústavní smlouvy (EU Convention process and the establishing of the EU Constitution). Politologický časopis. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, Mezinárodní politologický ústav, 2007, XIV, No 4, p. 283-303. ISSN 1211-3247. info
  • PITROVÁ, Markéta. Evropská ústava: institucionální návrhy a jejich důsledky (EU constitution: institutional drafts an their impact). Politologický časopis. Brno: MPÚ, 2003, X, No 4, p. 315-337. ISSN 1211-3247. info
Teaching methods
The course is based on intensive teamwork. The groups are created according to the order of registration for the workshop courses in IS. The size of the group differs depending on the chosen document. The main aim of the group is to broaden the detailed knowledge of the document to enhance the ability to introduce the document and to choose three main characteristics of it in the last three classes. The final versions will be held in the IS at the disposal to other groups the day before the presentation.
Assessment methods
The examination will be oral, in groups in form of a discussion about the documents. The presentations will be evaluated. The results are part of the final exam. Evaluation: presentation max. 40 %, final oral examination: max. 60 %. Activity in the comparing of documents is recquired.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2008, Autumn 2008, Autumn 2009, Autumn 2010, Autumn 2012, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2015, Autumn 2016, Autumn 2017, Autumn 2018, Autumn 2019.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2011, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2011/EVS412