PEHPEU Economic Policy of the European Union

Faculty of Economics and Administration
Autumn 2008
Extent and Intensity
2/2/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
prof. Ing. Martin Kvizda, Ph.D. (lecturer)
prof. Ing. Martin Kvizda, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Ing. et Ing. Šárka Nedělová (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
prof. Ing. Antonín Slaný, CSc.
Department of Economics – Faculty of Economics and Administration
Contact Person: Lydie Pravdová
Timetable of Seminar Groups
PEHPEU/1: No timetable has been entered into IS. M. Kvizda, Š. Nedělová
Prerequisites
( HOPO Economic Policy || Ex_7024_P Economic Policy || PEHOPO Economic Policy ) && ( MAKR Macroeconomics II || PEMAII Macroeconomics II ) && ( MIKR Microeconomics II || PEMIK2 Microeconomics II )
Previous completing of Economic Policy, Macroeconomics II, and Microeconomics II is supposed. The course is intended for the second grade of full-time studies in the field of study Economics or Economic Policy.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
The capacity limit for the course is 39 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/39, only registered: 0/39, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/39
Course objectives
This course familiarises students with philosophy, mechanisms and institutions of the common macroeconomic policy of the EU. Lectures combine theoretical premises with their practical implementation and thus enable the student to assume an analytical attitude to the individual measures and judge them critically. The course is classified into the topic areas according to economic and political fields: it gradually covers trade and customs policy, agricultural policy, structural policy, policy of economic competition, transportation policy, environmental policy and social policy. Special emphasis is placed on monetary policy, particularly on the conditions of functioning of Economic and Monetary Union, previous experience and its future perspectives. Throughout the course, the process of enlargement (i.e. the area of regional and cohesion policy) and reforms of EU institutions are explored.
The course is organised in the form of lectures and seminars; the lectures offer a review of the appropriate topics and the subject matter is further analysed and discussed in seminars. Students are asked to prepare brief, specialised seminar papers. Credit requirements: active participation in seminars, seminar paper defence.
Learning objectives:
* to understand the basic tendencies of the EU economic systems’ development;
* to learn historical context of European integration from the economic point of view;
* to analyze basic macroeconomic as well as microeconomic contingencies of the European integration;
* to delineate and analyze benefits and costs of integration process.
Syllabus
  • 1. Microeconomics of European integration – basic instruments in theory and practice, graphic analyses, tariff barriers, protectionism and its costs.
  • 2. Preferential liberalization – analyses of discriminatory liberalization, customs union analyses, free trade zones, WTO and EU case studies.
  • 3. Market extension - liberalization, defragmentation, and industrial restructuring in theory and practice of the EU. Economic effects of antimonopoly policy.
  • 4. Economic growth effects and integration of factors’ market – short-time effects in Sollow analysis, long-time effects and know-how.
  • 5. Common agriculture policy – objectives and former aims, problems, reforms and its impacts. Cost-benefit analyses of CAP, proposals and possibilities of further development.
  • 6. Regional policy and transport policy – problem of cohesion, geographical singularities and its economic aspects. Costs and benefits of cohesion policies.
  • 7. Monetary history of Europe – gold standard, Bretton-Woods, monetary integration. Exchange rate policy and common monetary policy.
  • 8. European monetary system EMS – conception, expectations, results, crises. Theory and practice of fixed exchange rate policy of EU countries.
  • 9. Optimal currency areas theory – definition, problems, criteria. Empirical analyses of the European Union as currency area, measurement, perspectives.
  • 10. European monetary union – Maastricht Treaty, objectives and aims of common monetary policy. European system of central banks – targets, instruments, and strategies, independency of the ECB.
  • 11. Fiscal policy and Stability and Growth Pact – national fiscal policies within EMU, externalities, SGP principles, its impacts.
  • 12. Financial markets in Euro zone – financial institutions and markets, international signification of the common currency.
  • 13. Economic integration and labour market problems – national labour markets and integration impacts, institutions of labour markets, theory and practice of European model.
Literature
  • BALDWIN, Richard E. and Charles WYPLOSZ. The economics of European integration. London: McGraw-Hill, 2004, xx, 458. ISBN 0077103947. info
  • MOLLE, Willem T.M. The economics of European integration :theory, practice, policy. 4th ed. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2001, xiii, 548. ISBN 0-7546-2195-2. info
  • EL-AGRAA, A.M. The European Union. Economics and Policies. Harlow: Prentice Hall, 2004. info
  • SLANÝ, Antonín. Makroekonomická analýza a hospodářská politika (Macroeconomic Analysis and Economic Policy.). 1st ed. Praha: C. H. Beck, 2003, 380 pp. EU 22. ISBN 80-7179-738-3. info
Assessment methods
During semester students elaborate on seminar works which are discussed in seminars. Control test are written in 7th and 13th week. Results of the seminar work as well as of control tests are a part of final evaluation. Final exam has a form of colloquium.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2001, Autumn 2002, Autumn 2003, Autumn 2004, Autumn 2005, Autumn 2006, Autumn 2007.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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