University of Siena - Master’s Programme in
Politics in Europe: Interactions Between Domestic and Supranational Arenas
Academic
Year 2000-2001
EU
cohesion policy and structural funds
2nd
Semester: Wednesday, 8.30-10.00 am (Room 5 - 1st floor)
1. Aims of the Course
To provide the M.A. students with expertise in recent and current changes in EU cohesion policy, with special reference to latest reform of the structural funds (the Agenda 2000 package), and its implications for both national and sub-national political systems.
On
a more abstract level, to offer an empirical understanding of the impact of the
EU arena on policy development at member state level.
The EC context may matter for policy development through changing preferences of
actors involved in regional policy-making; through the mobilisation of new
actors and the emergence of new actor coalitions in domestic policy domains;
through serving as a source of inspiration for policy-makers looking for
alternative policy ideas. In developing such thoughts, the course seeks to
understand the influence of supranational factors as an integral part of
domestic policy-making (rather than an external constraint), also reshaping the
relationship between national and sub-national authorities.
After a review on EU cohesion policy, the Italian experience will be investigated as a case study to equip students with knowledge to employ policy analysis methods and concepts; to analyse information to create focused research project and to recognise the opportunities for public policy intervention within the European context.
2. Course requirements
Active participation by students is expected and reading requirements are to be fulfilled before hand.
A research project proposal or a paper, on a topic selected with the instructor, is due by the end of semester.
Evaluation is based on class participation (40%) and research project or paper (60%).
Students should be (or become) familiar with the World Wide Web procedures since there is an extensive use of the Europa www server (www.europa.eu.int and www.inforegio.org ).
3. Course outline (tentative
schedule)
|
Date |
Topics |
|
March, 7th |
The concept of “cohesion” and the institutionalisation of EU cohesion policy: policy goals and policy instruments |
|
March, 14th |
Decision making in EU cohesion policy: actors, resources and strategies |
|
March, 21st |
The working of structural funds: a comparative assessment of structural policy reforms |
|
March, 28th |
Understanding cohesion policy: intergovernmental bargaining vs. multi-level governance ? |
|
April, 4th |
Theoretical approaches in details/I
|
|
April, 11th |
Theoretical approaches in details/II
|
|
May, 2nd |
The impact of EU cohesion policy on domestic policy making: institutional change and regional mobilization in Italy ? |
|
May, 9th |
Italy: the national level |
|
May, 16th |
Italy: the sub-national level |
|
May,23rd |
Italy: lessons-drawing from the 1994-99 structural funds framework and the Agenda 2000 package |
|
May, 30th |
Research project proposals or Paper
schemes |
4. References
Allen D. (1996),
“Cohesion and structural adjustment”, in Wallace H., Wallace W. (Eds.), Policy-Making
in the European Union, Oxford, pp. 210-233.
Benz A., Eberlein B.
(1999), “The Europeanization of regional policies: patterns of multi-level
governance”, in Journal of European Public Policy, Vol. 6, n. 2, pp.
329-348.
Hooghe L. (Ed.) (1996),
Cohesion Policy and European Integration, Oxford, Oxford University
Press.
Hooghe L., Keating M.
(1994), “The Politics of European Union Regional Policy”, in Journal of
European Public Policy, vol. 1, n. 3, pp. 367-393.
Keating, M., Hooghe
L. (1996), “By-passing the
Nation-State? Regions and the EU Policy Process”, in Richardson J. (Ed.),
European Union. Power and Policy Making, London, Routledge, pp. 216-229.
Le Galès P., Lesquesne C. (Eds) (1998), Regions in Europe, London, Routledge
Leonardi R. (1995), Convergence,
Cohesion and Integration in the European Union, London, Macmillan.
Marks G. (1993),
“Structural Policy and Multilevel Governance in the EC”, in Cafruny A., W.
Rosenthal G.G. (Eds), The State of the
European Community. The Maastricht Debates and Beyond, Volume 2, Boulder
Col., Harlow Longman, pp. 391-410.
Pollack M.A. (1995),
“Regional Actors in an Intergovernmental Play: The Making and Implementation
of EC Structural Policy”, in Rhodes C., Mazey S. (Eds.), The State of the
European Union, Vol. 3: Building a European Polity, Boulder (Col), Harlow,
pp. 361-390.
Sutcliffe J.B.
(2000), “The 1999 reform of the structural fund regulations: multi-level
governance or renationalizaton ?”, in Journal of European Public Policy,
Vol. 7, n. 2, pp. 290-309
Other
readings, notably official documentation and material on the Internet www.europa.eu.int
and www.inforegio.org will be identified
during the course.