Prerequisite:

Second-cycle Bologna degree in the relevant track or a university (level VII) degree

Content (Syllabus outline):

• key European issues
• principles of structural and regional policy of the EU
• European institutions
• history of structural and regional policy in the EC
• European cooperation platforms (TCP)
• European structural funds 2014-2020
• Programming documents 2014-2020
• European Structural and Investment Funds 2021-2027
• Programming documents 2021-2027
• European Fund for Strategic Investments (»Juncker Fund«)
• EU Green Deal
• EU Recovery Fund
• policy-making at European level
• European legislation
• European macro-regions and macro-regional strategies

Readings:

• Bachtler, J. (ed); Berkowitz, P. (ed); Hardy, S. (ed); Muravska, T. (ed) 2017: EU Cohesion Policy: Reassessing performance and direction. Edward Elgar.
• Bachtler, J., Begg, I., Charles, D., Polverari, L. 2016: EU Cohesion Policy in Practice: What Does it Achieve? Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
• Barnes, P. M., Hoerber, T. C. (ed.) 2015: Sustainable Development and Governance in Europe. The Evolution of the Discourse on Sustainability. Routledge.
• Cooke, P. 2014: Re-framing Regional Development. Evolution, Innovation and Transition. Routledge.
• Kyriakou, D., Palazuelos-Martínez, M., Periáñez-Forte, I., Rainoldi, A. (ed.) 2016: Governing Smart Specialisation. Routledge.
• McCann, P., Varga, A. (ed.) 2016: Place-based Economic Development and the New EU Cohesion Policy. Routledge.
• Piattoni, S. (ed.), Polverari, L. (ed.) 2016: Handbook on Cohesion Policy in the EU. Edward Elgar.

Objectives and competences:

The aim of the course is to acquaint the students with the European structural policy, its key principles, mechanisms, the forms of territorial cooperation, and funds that support development at European level. The students will get knowledge on the policy-making and European legislative, its institutions, and how the policies are transferred to lower territorial levels, e. g. countries and regions.

Intended learning outcomes:

• knowledge on key development issues of the European Union
• knowledge on European institutions, mechanisms, principles, decision-making and financing
• ability to build conceptual frameworks/models of the European structural policy in relation to development theories and models
• shaping the development concepts in the viewpoint of the European legislation

Learning and teaching methods:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• e-learning

Assessment:

• Oral exam 50 %
• Written paper 50 %