FSS:EVS183 European Integration of Balkan - Course Information

EVS183 European Integration of the Western Balkans

Extent and Intensity

2/0/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).

Teacher(s)

Marko Stojić, PhD. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Veronika Velička Zapletalová, Ph.D. (assistant)

Guaranteed by

prof. PhDr. Petr Kaniok, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Supplier department: Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies

Timetable

Wed 9:45–11:15 P22

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 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/30, only registered: 0/30

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

there are 17 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display

Course objectives

By the end of this course students will be able to:
• Understand and analyse the history and the current developments of the Western Balkan relations with the EU • Understand both the mechanisms and the outcomes of EU influence on (potential) candidate countries in general and in the Western Balkans in particular • Explain and understand the significance of European issues in the context of domestic politics, policies and polities of the Western Balkan states • Gain an awareness of the theoretical concepts that underpin these themes • Produce position papers that critically evaluate a variety of materials used • Develop verbal skills through taking part in discussions • Develop writing skills through writing position papers and taking lecture notes • Learn to operate in a small co-operative group through actively participating in seminars • Acquire presentation skills through seminar presentations

Syllabus

• Course description: The course aims to examine the process of European integration of the Western Balkan countries (Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo) and to analyse a wider impact of European integration on their domestic policies, politics and institutions. The course starts with an introduction of EU enlargement policy towards this region. It discusses the most important aspects of EU enlargement strategy, the Stabilization and Association Process and Agreements as well as the key elements of accession negotiations, including EU’s increased political and economic conditionality and monitoring. The course then examines EU’s relations with the individual Western Balkan countries by assessing the progress that has been achieved as well as the key obstacles and challenges these countries have faced in their bid to become members of the Union. In the second part, the course examines Europeanization of the Western Balkan states, i.e. the nature and results of a significant EU’s impact on their policies (cohesion, border management and environment policies), politics (political parties and party systems) and institutions. By looking at different concepts and approaches to Europeanization, the course provides an analytical overview of the influence of European integration on domestic change in these countries. It also examines the diverging compliance patterns of the Western Balkan states and asks why some of them have complied substantially, some partially and others have mostly defied the EU. The course finally evaluates the successes and failures of EU state-building policies as well as the effect of EU leverage on the rule of law and administrative reforms in this region.
• Course outline: 1. General overview of the course 2. Understanding EU enlargement: Why did the EU decide to enlarge? An overview of competing explanations. 3. EU enlargement- Rules, procedures and policies 4. European integration of the Western Balkans: Stabilization and Association Process and Agreements, EU membership negotiations- institutional structures and procedures, EU’s increased political/economic conditionality and monitoring, disputed issues and key challenges. 5. Serbia, Croatia and the EU 6. Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia and the EU 7. Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania and the EU 8. Europeanization of EU candidate states: an overview of concepts and approaches 9. Europeanization of policies – Cohesion, border management and environment 10. Europeanization of politics – Political parties, party systems and public opinion 11. The EU and the state-building in the Western Balkans 12. The EU and the rule of law in the Western Balkans 13. Recapitulation
• Readings: Andrew Geddes, Charles Lees, Andrew Taylor (2012) ‘The European Union and South East Europe: The Dynamics of Europeanization and Multilevel Governance’, Routledge: London. Ashbrook, J.E. (2010) ‘Croatia, Euroskepticism, and the Identity Politics of EU Enlargement’, Problems of Post-Communism, Vol. 57, No. 3, pp. 23–39. Börzel Tanja(2013) ‘When Europeanization Hits Limited Statehood. The Western Balkans as a Test Case for the Transformative Power of Europe’, in Elbasani A. (ed.) ‘European Integration and Transformation in the Western Balkans. Europeanization or Business as Usual?’ Routledge: London. Bulmer, S. (2007) ‘Theorizing Europeanization’, In ‘Europeanization: New Research Agendas’, (eds.) P. Graziano and M. Vink, Palgrave Macmillan. Elbasani A. (ed.) (2013) ‘European Integration and Transformation in the Western Balkans. Europeanization or Business as Usual?’, Routledge: London. Fagan, A (2010) ‘The EU and the Western Balkans’, In ‘Europe's Balkan Dilemma: Paths to Civil Society or State-Building’, I.B. Tauris, pp. 18-48. Fink-Hafner Danica (2008) ‘Europeanization and party system mechanics: comparing Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro’, Journal of Southern Europe and the Balkans Online, 10:2, pp. 167-181. Freyburg Tina and Solveig Richter (2010) ‘National Identity Matters: The Limited Impact of EU Political Conditionality in the Western Balkans’, Journal of European Public Policy, Vol. 17, No. 2. pp. 263-281. Gergana Noutcheva (2012) ‘European Foreign Policy and the Challenges of Balkan Accession: Conditionality, legitimacy and compliance’, Routledge: London. Glenn, J.K. (2004) ‘From nation-states to member states: Accession negotiations as an instrument of Europeanisation,’ Comparative European Politics 2 (1), 3-28. Grabbe, Heather (2003) ‘Europeanization Goes East: Power and Uncertainty in the EU Accession Process’, In The Politics of Europeanization, (eds.) Featherstone and Radaelli. Oxford University Press, pp. 303-330. Jacques Rupnik (Ed.) (2011) The Western Balkans and the EU: ‘The hour of Europe’, Chaillot Paper, No. 126.

Teaching methods

This course is taught through a combination of weekly lectures/seminars. The weekly topics will be introduced in the lectures. Students are expected to read the readings and be prepared to make an input into the seminar discussion, ask questions and raise points based on reading and reflection. Students are expected to write seven position papers on the weekly readings which will serve as a basis for seminar discussion. In addition, each student is required to deliver one presentation during the term. The presentation should include a summary of the main arguments of the readings, a discussion of how the readings relate to the broader themes of the course, and questions for discussion. Final written exam will be based on the required readings and seminar discussions.
Grading: (i) Final written exam consisting of multiple choice and essay questions (40%); (ii) Seven position papers (30%); (iii) Seminar participation (15%), and (iv) Seminar presentation (15%).

Language of instruction

English

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

The course is taught only once.

• Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2015, recent)
  
• Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2015/EVS183