210141 SE EC: The EU and Global Governance (2021W)

This seminar analyses the role of the EU in global context. It specifically focuses on the EU’s influence in the world through regulation – legal and non-legal norms and rules that attempt to address a specific problem. When thinking about global power, regulation is not usually the first thing that comes to mind. Yet, for the EU, it has been a source of major strength. In areas including climate or digital policy, the EU’s rules and norms have shaped policies far beyond its borders. In this seminar, we will explore how and why regulation matters but also explore the limits of the EU’s regulatory power. How does the EU shape the behaviour of major tech giants through the so-called “Brussels effect”? How does the attempt to shape rules beyond its jurisdiction play out in a context of internal and external challenges to the liberal world order?

In three phases, we will identify and analyse the main manifestations and challenges of the EU’s regulatory power in the context of global order.

First, we will introduce and discuss central concepts, such as global governance, European integration, regulation, and power. Second, we will discuss central manifestations of the EU’s regulatory power in the global context, including on digital governance, environmental protection, and foreign policy. Third, we will zoom in on challenges to the regulatory power, including the rise of geopolitics and challenges to the liberal order.

The seminar explores diverse theoretical perspectives, combining insights on regulatory governance from European Studies with literature from International Relations.

Due to the uncertainty of the current public health situation, this will be a hybrid course with synchronous (Webinars and discussions) and asynchronous (Moodle forum discussions, assignments) elements. The class will be divided in groups with a maximum of three to four in-person meetings for those willing and able to come to the university. We will decide on dates for these meetings together in class. Due to the size of the room, the number of people allowed is extremely limited. Online only participation is possible and the main part of the seminar will take place online.

Learning Outcomes

The course aims to introduce students to central dimensions of the EU’s power in the global order. It further provides students with the conceptual tools and analytic skills to pursue their own projects regarding the EU and global governance. At the end of the course, students should be able to

• identify and describe the main sources, manifestations, and challenges of the EU as a regulatory power;

• summarize and critically assess the strengths and weakness of theoretical approaches that grasp the concept of regulation, the position of the EU in global governance, and its relationship to global order;

• apply the insights they gained from these approaches to empirical phenomena in global governance and identify potential political, legal, and social consequences.