EVS105 EU Institutions

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2025

The course is not taught in Spring 2025

Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 8 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
prof. PhDr. Petr Kaniok, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. PhDr. Markéta Pitrová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Magda Komínková (assistant)
Mgr. Magda Komínková, Ph.D. (assistant)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Markéta Pitrová, 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
Prerequisites (in Czech)
! EVSb1003 EU Institutions && !NOW( EVSb1003 EU Institutions ) && ( EVSb1001 European Integration || EVS104 European Integration )
Kurs je koncipován jako navazující. Předpokládá se proto absolvování kursu Evropská integrace, nebo srovnatelná znalost evropského integračního procesu. Nezbytností je take četba anglických textů v rozsahu cca 200 stran. Rozsah českých textů činí cca 300 stran.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 20 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The course deals with detail mechanisms and institutional design of the European Union. It will focus on institutions development and the influence of political aspects on decision-making process. Course will also take into account influence of the theoretical perspectives of supranacionalism and intergovernmentalism .At the end of the course, student should be able to explain EU institutions functioning, especially their role in the decision-making process.
Learning outcomes
Student will be able to identify main actors of EU institutional structure
Student will be able to explain main challenges of EU institutional structure
Student can identify main weaknesess and opportunities of EU institutional structure
Student will be able to explain impact of EU institutional structure on domestic politics of EU Member states
Syllabus
  • 1) Introductory lecture – content of the course, obligations to be met by students
  • 2) Introduction to the topic of an institutional development of the EC/EU, polarity of supranational and intergovernmental model, specifics of the EU, intorduction to the european law
  • 3) The European council – composition, significance and tasks of the institution
  • 4) The Council of the EU - composition, significance and tasks of the institution
  • 5) EU Coordination - domestic level
  • 6) The European parliament - historical development and structure
  • 7) The European parliament - functions
  • 8) The European comission - historical development, significance and tasks of the institution
  • 9) The European comission - mechanism of lobbying, the Commission’s role in a legislative process
  • 10) The Economic and social committee, The Committee of regions – position of consultative bodies, Court of auditors and it’s significance, European agencies
  • 11) Decision-making in the EU (budget process, decision-making procedures, consent procedure)
  • 12) The European court of justice, The Court of first instance
  • 13) National parliaments´ involvement in the EU political system
Literature
  • Portály institucí Evropské unie
  • DOČKAL, Vít, Petr KANIOK and Jan ZÁVĚŠICKÝ. Evropský parlament (European parliament). 1st ed. Brno: Mezinárodní politologický ústav Masarykovy univerzity, 2007, 174 pp. mimo edice. ISBN 978-80-210-4329-9. info
  • PITROVÁ, Markéta and Petr KANIOK. Předsednictví: vrcholem rad v EU (Presidency: summit of the EU councils). In Česká politika v Evropské unii. Evropský integrační proces a zájmy České republiky. 1. vyd. Brno: Mezinárodní politologický ústav, 2006, p. 185 - 202, 17 pp. Sborníky č. 29. ISBN 80-210-4076-9. info
  • PITROVÁ, Markéta and Petr FIALA. Evropská unie (Europen union). Brno: CDK, 2003, 737 pp. mimo edice, svazek 1. ISBN 80-7325-015-2. info
Teaching methods
The course is carried out in form of lectures.
Assessment methods
The course is terminated with exam. Its value is 8 ECTS. The condition of successful completion is essay and written mid-term exam. Essay is obligatory and consists of 5 pages (9000 characters inc. gaps). Essay should be submitted electronically into Homework Vault until May 1. Students can choose between 2 topics: a) European Commission: an EU government or team of experts?, b) European Council President: A president or an official? The essay requires good knowledge of relevant documents, analytical framework and text authenticity. Descriptive works will not be accepted. Plagiarism can lead to disciplinary sanction starting with disqualification from the course. The exam is written. Grades scale: Mid-term exam (15 points, multiple choice questions, test using IS.muni.cz), essay (15 points), final exam (70 points - combination of open and multiple choice questions, test using IS.muni.cz, the successful completion of multiple choice question is a condition to access to open questions). Minimum for successful completion of the course is 67 points. Grades scale: 100 – 95: A, 94 – 89: B, 88 – 82: C, 81 – 73: D, 72 – 67: E, 66 - : F
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2005, Spring 2006, Spring 2007, Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2025/EVS105