BPV_EUPP European Union Public Policy

Faculty of Economics and Administration
Autumn 2021
Extent and Intensity
2/2/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Ing. David Špaček, Ph.D. (lecturer)
John Frederick Wilton, B.A. (Hons), M. Soc Sc, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Ing. David Špaček, Ph.D.
Department of Public Economics – Faculty of Economics and Administration
Contact Person: Jana Biskupová
Supplier department: Department of Public Economics – Faculty of Economics and Administration
Timetable
except Mon 13. 9., except Mon 1. 11. ; and Mon 11. 10. 14:00–17:50 S301, Fri 15. 10. 14:00–17:50 S301, Mon 18. 10. 14:00–17:50 S301, Fri 22. 10. 14:00–17:50 S301, Mon 25. 10. 14:00–17:50 S301, Fri 29. 10. 14:00–17:50 S301
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/30, only registered: 0/30, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/30
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
Despite definitive debates about whether the European Union (EU) can be equated with the characteristics of a fully fledged state, it is certainly beyond the dispute that the EU has acquired for itself at least the policy making attributes of a modern state across an increasingly wide range of policy sectors. As a result it has also gained a considerable degree of power in order to set policy agendas, and formulate, implement and enforce policy decisions.

After a brief introduction to the EU institutions and the EU public policy process this course will conceptualise the EU public policy process into four sections – agenda setting, policy formulation, policy decision-making and policy implementation. In examining these four parts of the policy process different models of analysis will be employed at different levels within the EU and at different stages of the policy process.

The final section of the course will examine two EU public policy areas, utilising them as case studies within the conceptual frameworks identified in the first part of the course.
Learning outcomes
Identification and analysis of the powers and parameters of the E.U. in setting Public Policy agendas, and formulating, implementing and enforcing policy decisions; Identification and analysis of the four key parts of the E.U. Public Policy process - agenda setting (including the role of NGOs), policy formulation (including the role of NGOs), policy decision-making and policy implementation; An understanding of various models of analysis employed at different levels within the E.U. Public Policy process, as well as at different stages of that process; An understanding of the key E.U. institutions involved in the E.U. Public Policy process and the power relationships between them, as well as between them and the E.U. Member States’ governments and Parliaments/Assemblies; Practical understanding of the wide-ranging EU Public Policy process, and the institutions involved, through application within a case study of the conceptual frameworks identified in the course; An examination, analysis, and understanding of the concepts of ‘harmonisation’, ‘mutual recognition’, ‘convergence’, and ‘europeanisation’ within the E.U. Public Policy process.
Syllabus
  • Structure of the course:
  • The course will be taught through a series of lectures and workshops. There will be 12 lectures and 2 workshops.
  • Lecture programme:
  • PLEASE NOTE: 80% attendance at lectures (i.e. at least 10) is a requirement to pass this course (see Course Assessment below)
  • The powerpoint presentations for each lecture will be placed on the Masaryk University Information System prior to each lecture
  • Lecture 1. The development of the European Union and the development of E.U. public policy
  • Lecture 2. The basis of, and principles underpinning, E.U. public policy: harmonisation, mutual recognition and convergence?
  • Lecture 3. Agenda-setting 1: role and purpose, E.U. political process, and the nature of agendas
  • Lecture 4. Agenda-setting 2: fragmentation and the absence of effective policy co-ordination
  • Lecture 5. Policy formulation 1: the policy communities and policy networks model
  • Lecture 6. Policy formulation 2: policy-making uncertainty, expertise and epistemic communities, multiple policy-making ‘venues’
  • Lecture 7. Policy decision-making: institutional analysis
  • Lecture 8. Policy implementation: implementation as a complex and multifaceted process, inter-organisational behaviour and implementation analysis, characterising implementation in the E.U.
  • Lecture 9. A case study of the E.U. policy process: Education policy
  • Lecture 10. A further case study of the E.U. policy process: Environmental policy
  • Lecture 11. The ‘Europeanisation’ or ‘Regionalisation’ of public policy
  • Workshop programme:
  • PLEASE NOTE:
  • a) 100% attendance at the 2 workshops is a requirement to pass this course (see Course Assessment below)
  • b) Students will be expected to have read for each workshop and participate. Indicative readings are given below for each workshop
  • Workshop 1: This will consist of student participation and discussion groups
  • Question: Is harmonisation, mutual recognition or convergence the best principle upon which European Union Public Policy should be based? Provide reasons and evidence for your preference.
  • Readings:
  • Borros, S. and Greve, B. (2004) The Open Method of Co-ordination in the European Union, special issue of Journal of European Public Policy, 11:2 (various articles of interest)
  • Jepsen, M. and Pascual, A.S. (2005) ‘The European Social Model: an exercise in deconstruction’, Journal of European Social Policy, 15(3), pp.231-245.
  • Roberts, I. and Springer, B. Social Policy in the European Union: Between Harmonisation and National Autonomy, Boulder, Lynne Reiner, 2001.
  • Room, G. (2007) ‘Challenges facing the E.U.: Scope for a coherent response’, European Societies, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp.229-244.
  • Sinn, H-W and Ochel, W (2003) ‘Social Union, convergence and migration’, Journal of Common Market Studies, 41, pp.869-96.
  • Threlfall, M. (2003) ‘European social integration: harmonization, convergence and the single social area’, Journal of European Social Policy, 13, pp.121-140.
  • Wallace, H. Wallace, W. and Pollack, M. A. Policy Making in the European Union (5th edition), Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2005.
  • Workshop 2: This will consist of student participation and discussion groups around discussion, and direction in respect of the assessment essay.
  • Readings:
  • Beland, D. (2009) ‘Ideas, institutions, and policy change’, Journal of European Public Policy, Vol.16, no.5, pp.701-718
  • Hix, S. The Political System of the European Union, Basingstoke, Macmillan, 2005.
  • Jepsen, M. and Pascual, A.S. (2005) ‘The European Social Model: an exercise in deconstruction’, Journal of European Social Policy, 15(3), pp.231-245.
  • Room, G. (2007) ‘Challenges facing the E.U.: Scope for a coherent response’, European Societies, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp.229-244.
  • Rosamond, B. Theories Of European Integration, Basingstoke, Palgrave, 2000.
  • Sinn, H-W and Ochel, W (2003) ‘Social Union, convergence and migration’, Journal of Common Market Studies, 41, pp.869-96.
  • Threlfall, M. (2003) ‘European social integration: harmonization, convergence and the single social area’, Journal of European Social Policy, 13, pp.121-140.
  • Wallace, H. Wallace, W. and Pollack, M. A. Policy Making in the European Union (5th edition), Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2005.
Literature
  • Texts
  • Students are referred to a range of journal, book and internet texts. Some of the books and journals are held in the Faculty of Social Studies library.
  • Additional texts will be given within the lectures, and included in the power point presentations for lectures that will be placed on the University Information System prior to each lecture.

  • Books
  • Featherstone, K. and Radaelli, C. (eds.) The Politics of Europeanization, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2003. (especially the Introduction and the chapter by D. Wincott).
  • Gallie, D. (ed.) Resisting marginalisation: Unemployment experience and social policy in the EU, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2004.
  • Geyer, R. Exploring European Social Policy, Cambridge, Polity Press, 2000.
  • Hantrais, L. Social Policy in the EU, Basingstoke, Macmillan, 2000 (second edition) or 2007 (third edition).
  • Hix, S. The Political System of the European Union, Basingstoke, Macmillan, 2005.
  • Jordan, A. and Liefferink, D. (eds.) Environmental Policy in Europe: The Europeanization of National Environmental Policy, London, Routledge, 2004.
  • Kleinman, M. A European Welfare State: European Union Social Policy in context, Basingstoke, Palgrave, 2002.
  • McCormick, J. Understanding the European Union (Third edition), Basingstoke, Palgrave, 2005.
  • Nugent, N. The Government and Politics of the European Union, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2005.
  • Richardson, J. European Union. Power and policy-making (Third edition), Oxford, Routledge, 2006. (alternatively, Second edition, 2001).
  • Roberts, I. and Springer, B. Social Policy in the European Union: Between Harmonisation and National Autonomy, Boulder, Lynne Reiner, 2001.
  • Rosamond, B. Theories Of European Integration, Basingstoke, Palgrave, 2000.
  • Salais, R. and Villeneuve, R. (eds.) Europe and the politics of capabilities, New York, Cambridge University Press, 2004.
  • Schimmelfennig, F. and Sedelmeier, U. (eds.) The Europeanisation of Central and Eastern Europe. Ithaca NY, Cornell University Press, 2005.
  • Wallace, H. Wallace, W. and Pollack, M. A. Policy Making in the European Union (5th edition), Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2005.

  • Journal articles

  • Beland, D. (2009) ‘Ideas, institutions, and policy change’, Journal of European Public Policy, Vol.16, no.5, pp.701-718.
  • Borros, S. and Greve, B. (2004) The Open Method of Co-ordination in the European Union, special issue of Journal of European Public Policy, 11:2 (various articles of interest).
  • Delreux, T. ‘The E.U. negotiates multilateral environmental agreements: explaining the agent’s discretion’, Journal of European Public Policy, Vol. 16, No.5, pp.719-737.
  • Farrell, H. and Heritier, A. (2005) ‘A Rationalist-Institutionalist Explanation of Endogenous Regional Integration’, Journal of European Public Policy, 12/2: pp.273-90.
  • Farrell, D. M. and Scully, R. (2010) ‘The European parliament: one parliament, several modes of political representation on the ground?’, Journal of European Public Policy, Vol. 17, no.1, pp.36-54.
  • Guillen, A. and Palier, B. (2004) ‘Does Europe matter? Accession to EU and social policy developments in recent and new member states’, Journal of European Social Policy, 14:3, pp.203-209, and other articles in this special issue.
  • Jepsen, M. and Pascual, A.S. (2005) ‘The European Social Model: an exercise in deconstruction’, Journal of European Social Policy, 15(3), pp.231-245.
  • Kelemen, R. D. (2010) ‘Globalising European Union environment policy’, Journal of European Public Policy, Vol. 17, no.3, pp.335-349.
  • Liefferink, D. Arts, B. Kamstra, J. Ooijevaar, J. (2009) ‘Leaders and laggards in environmental policy: a quantitative analysis of domestic policy outputs’, Journal of European Public Policy, Vol. 16, No.5, pp.677-700.
  • Mosher, J. and Trubek, D. (2003) ‘Alternative approaches to governance in the EU: EU Social Policy and the European Employment Strategy’, Journal of Common Market Studies, 4:1, pp.63-88.
  • Neilson, J. (1998) ‘Equal opportunities for women in the European Union: success or failure?’, Journal of European Social Policy, 8, pp.64-79.
  • Room, G. (2007) ‘Challenges facing the E.U.: Scope for a coherent response’, European Societies, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp.229-244.
  • Sinn, H-W and Ochel, W (2003) ‘Social Union, convergence and migration’, Journal of Common Market Studies, 41, pp.869-96.
  • Threlfall, M. (2003) ‘European social integration: harmonization, convergence and the single social area’, Journal of European Social Policy, 13, pp.121-140.
  • Van Der Heijden, Hein-Anton. "Multi-level Environmentalism and the European Union: The Case of Trans-European Transport Networks." International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 30 (2006): 23-37.
  • Van der Mei (2003) ‘Freedom of movement for the unemployed and co-ordination of unemployment benefit schemes’, European Journal of Social Security, 5:3, pp.214-229.
  • Varela, D. (2009) ‚Just a Lobbyist? The European Parliament and the Consultation Procedure‘, European Union Politics, Vol.10, No.1, pp.7-34.
  • Vobruba, G. (2003) ‘The enlargement crisis of the European Union: limits of the dialectics of integration and expansion’, Journal of European Social Policy, 13 (1), pp.35-48, and responses by M. Bach and M. Rhodes.
  • Wolf, Winifried. "Transport Policy in the European Union. Debatte14 (2006): 167-83.
Teaching methods
The course takes the form of both lectures and seminars. First lecture and seminar will take place on Monday 12 October 2015! Lectures explain basic topics. During the seminars the basic topics are discussed. They are also elaborated by students in their essays. Student develop knowledges through homeworks and its public presentation as well as active participation during seminars.
Assessment methods
Course Assessment:

a) Attendance: 80% attendance at lectures (at least 10) and 100% attendance at the 2 workshops is a requirement to pass this course.
b) Essay (maximum 2000 words/6 sides of A4 paper):
To be submitted by email to jitaly25@hotmail.com or through the Masaryk University Information System

Students will be required to submit an essay in answer to one of the questions shown below. The essay must be of a maximum of 2,000 words/6 sides of A4 paper, be typewritten, fully properly referenced, and include a full bibliography.

PLEASE NOTE: Essays that are more than 10 per cent above or below the word limit will be penalised through the deduction of marks

(i) What are the benefits and problems that arise from the processes of agenda-setting and policy implementation at the beginning and end of the European Union public policy cycle?
(ii) Can European Union public policy making be described as ‘Europeanised’ or ‘regionalised’?
(iii) Identify benefits and problems in one public policy area within the E.U. public policy process. Is harmonisation, mutual recognition or convergence the best principle upon which the E.U. should base its policy in your chosen public policy area? (PLEASE NOTE: The Common Agricultural Policy, Security and Defence Policy, and Economic policy concerning the EU budget are not public policy areas. You should check carefully that your chosen policy area constitutes ‘public policy’, as if it does not you will not receive the required grade to pass the course.)
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
General note: The course is instructed from 14/10/2019 until 25/11/2019.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2009, Autumn 2010, Autumn 2011, Autumn 2012, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2015, Autumn 2016, Autumn 2017, Autumn 2018, Autumn 2019, Autumn 2020, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023, Autumn 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2021, recent)
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