7AAYM116 Foreign Policies of the European Union
Credit value: 20 credits
Module tutor: Professor Christoph Meyer
Assessment: Briefing paper (15%), 4000 word essay (85%)
Teaching pattern: 1 x 1hr lecture and 1 x 1hr seminar weekly
Module description
To what extent has the EU become a unitary actor in foreign affairs with the ability to project a common interest across a range of policy areas? What influence do member states have on common policies and actions as compared to EU institutions? And how does the EU reconcile conflicts between economic, humanitarian and security goals? These are three of the central questions to be tackled by this module. It will provide you with a sound understanding of the legal basis, complexity, range and impact of the EU’s foreign policy(ies) in a more globalised world. It will also help you distinguish and competently apply a range of theoretical approaches used to conceptualise the EU as a foreign actor and to analyse its decision-making dynamics. The module aims to advance students understanding of the EU’s strengths and weaknesses as it related to other major states, international organisations and other non-governmental actors.
Primary texts
Stephan Keukeleire & Jennifer MacNaughtan’s The Foreign Policy of the European Union (Palgrave, 2008) and the more theoretical International Relations and the European Union edited by Christopher Hill and Michael Smith (OUP, 2011).