210151 SE The EU and global governance (2013W)

This course looks at the international relations of the European Union (EU) and its role in global governance. While European integration started off as an internal project centering on the making of the Single Market and the harmonization of Member State policies, over time the external dimension of major EU policies gradually gained in importance. The EU has not only emerged as a foreign policy and security actor, it also became involved in managing globalization in areas such as commerce, the environment or social affairs. The course gives a brief overview of the EU's unique institutional set-up as an external actor and examines its international relations with a focus on (a) the Union's relations with its neighborhood; (b) inter-regional cooperation (e.g. EU-ASEAN and EU-MERCOSUR); and (c) the EU’s relations with international organizations (e.g. WTO; UN). Additionally, the course covers the EU's role in global security governance. To stimulate discussions, the course uses important current events as case studies such as the EU's response to the developments of the Arab spring; or its role in managing the international financial crises. Course requirements are active participation, short summaries of the assigned reading, short essays and potentially a final exam.