Insegnamento a.a. 2005-2006

8203 - ECONOMICS OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION


GM-LS - MM-LS - OSI-LS - AFC-LS - CLAPI-LS - CLEFIN-LS - CLELI-LS - CLEACC-LS - DES-LS - CLEMIT-LS - CLG-LS

Department of Social and Political Sciences

Course taught in English

Go to class group/s: 31
GM-LS (6 credits - II sem. - AI) - MM-LS (6 credits - II sem. - AI) - OSI-LS (6 credits - II sem. - AI) - AFC-LS (6 credits - II sem. - AI) - CLAPI-LS (6 credits - II sem. - AI) - CLEFIN-LS (6 credits - II sem. - AI) - CLELI-LS (6 credits - II sem. - AI) - CLEACC-LS (6 credits - II sem. - AI) - DES-LS (6 credits - II sem. - AI) - CLEMIT-LS (6 credits - II sem. - AI) - CLG-LS (6 credits - II sem. - AI)
Course Director:
CARLO ALTOMONTE

Classes: 31 (II sem.)
Instructors:
Class 31: CARLO ALTOMONTE


Course Objectives

The course aims at developing and applying formal economic concepts and models to the process of European integration now enlarged to 25 Member States. For each topic (growth, cohesion, stability, decision-making) the course presents the economic rationale behind its evolution at the EU level, and develops the economic tools for its analysis; in addition, it discusses possible policy solutions to the challenges faced by the same integration process.
By the end of this course, students should be able to use advanced economic tools for the analysis of most policies and proposals currently discussed in the daily debate on the EU, thus developing a level of knowledge similar to the one required to the analysts currently operating within the European Institutions. To this extent, specific assignments on current policy problems and special guests from the EU Institutions integrate the course program.


Course Content Summary

The first part of the course is devoted to studying the problem of low growth in the EU, focusing in particular on the relationship between economic integration, market reforms and productivity.
The second part of the course analyzes the implications of a process of economic integration on cohesion, studying the regional disparities opening up in the enlarged Union and the possible reform of the EU structural funds.
The third part discusses the problem of stability within the Economic and Monetary Union, in particular the economics of the reformed Growth and Stability Pact.
In the last part of the program, a specific attention is devoted to the Institutional evolutions of the EU, analyzed through appropriate models of political economy.


Detailed Description of Assessment Methods

Four take-home group assignments on each part of the course, granting 80 per cent of total marks. A final written exam makes up for the remaining points.


Textbooks

Background reading:

  • C. ALTOMONTE, M. NAVA, Economics and Policies of an Enlarged Europe, Edward Elgar, 2005 (forthcoming).

Selected chapters from the following books:

  • R. BALDWIN, C. WYPLOSZ, The Economics of European Integration, McGraw-Hill, 2003.
  • A. SAPIR, et al., An Agenda for a Growing Europe: Making the EU Economic System to Deliver, Oxford University Press, 2003.
  • D. MUELLER (eds.), Perspectives on Public Choice, Cambridge University Press, 1997.
  • S.J. BRAMS, et al. (eds.), Political and related models, Springer, 1983.

Other papers:

  • D. ACEMOGLU, P. AGHION, F. ZILIBOTTI, Distance to Frontier, Selection and Economic Growth, NBER Working Paper No. 9066, 2002.
  • G. GIUDICE, A. TURRINI, J. IN 'T VELD, Can fiscal consolidations be expansionary in the EU? Ex-post evidence and ex-ante analysis, European Economy - Economic Papers No. 195, 2003.
  • D. PUGA, European Regional Policies in Light of Recent Location Theories, Journal of Economic Geography, 2, 373-406, 2002.
  • J. VAN BIESEBROECK, Revisiting some productivity debates, NBER Working Paper No. 10065, 2003.

Additional notes/readings will be provided when dealing with specific topics covered in the programme.

For further and continuously updated information consult the  IEP web site or contact  S.I.D. - Servizio Informazioni Didattica - Institute of Economics - via Gobbi, 5 - Room 313.

Exam textbooks & Online Articles (check availability at the Library)
Last change 29/04/2005 00:00