Introduction to the functioning of the European Union

Trace the long quest for a united Europe—from ancient philosophers to Kant and Montesquieu—and examine how the 1948 Marshall Plan spurred European economic cooperation and laid groundwork for future integration.

Trace the origins of united Europe from the Schuman plan to the European Coal and Steel Community and the Rome treaties establishing the European Economic Community and Euratom.

Explore the general view of the European treaties from the Paris and Rome foundations to the European Union, outlining acts like the Single European Act, Maastricht, Amsterdam, Nice, and Lisbon.

Explore how the merger treaty, signed in Brussels in 1965 and in force by 1967, unified the European communities with a single council, single commission, shared budget, and common administration.

Amend the European Communities treaty to establish the European Council and broaden qualified majority voting, paving the way for the single market by 1993.

The Maastricht Treaty established the EU on three pillars, created economic and monetary union with the euro, and expanded the European Parliament's powers and EU citizenship, introducing the Social Protocol.

The treaty of Amsterdam (1997, in force 1999) boosted European cooperation, moved visa and immigration policies to EU decision making, and expanded the European Parliament and European Commission roles.

Reforms the European Commission, Council, and Parliament to prepare for enlargement under the treaty of Nice, with rotation commissioners and a qualified majority presidency.

Explore Lisbon Treaty, signed in 2007 and in force since 2009, detailing Treaty on European Union, Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Explore how the EU enlargement process uses the Copenhagen criteria—political stability, rule of law, human rights, and minorities—plus economic and administrative capacity, guided by europeanization and accession negotiations.

The lecture traces the EU enlargement from six founding states to 28, then 27 after Brexit, mapping seven waves and the role of the Copenhagen criteria and acquis communautaire.

Explore how the European Union organizes its legislative, executive, and judicial powers, and compare its institutions with national systems, including the European Council, Commission, and Parliament.

Differentiate the European Council from the Council of the European Union and the Council of Europe, and outline Coreper one and Coreper two in Brussels.

Explore how the European Parliament, with 705 directly elected members, shares legislative, supervisory, and budgetary powers with the Council, through committees and plenary sessions.

Propose laws, manage the EU budget, and oversee treaty implementation under Ursula von der Leyen as president to advance a healthy, green, prosperous Europe.

Explore how the Court of Justice of the European Union and General Court interpret and enforce EU law, resolve disputes involving member states and individuals, and safeguard citizens' rights.

Explore the European Court of Auditors as an independent external auditor that verifies EU funds, audits actors, reports on spending, and improves financial management through financial, compliance, and performance audits.

Explore the European Central Bank's role in managing the euro and setting monetary policy to safeguard price stability, coordinated by the Governing Council, Executive Board, and General Council.

Explore EU's ordinary legislative procedure and the roles of the European Commission, European Parliament, and Council under Lisbon treaty. Understand national parliaments' subsidiarity checks and yellow, green, and red cards.