Course: European Union Institutions

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Course title European Union Institutions
Course code KPO/PIEU
Organizational form of instruction Lecture + Seminar
Level of course Master
Year of study 2
Semester Winter
Number of ECTS credits 4
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course Compulsory
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Filipec Ondřej, Mgr. et Mgr. Ph.D.
  • Fiala Vlastimil, doc. PhDr. CSc.
Course content
Lectures' topics: Structure and position of EU institutions Historical development of institutions (European Council, Council, Commission, European Parliament) Research of EU institutions: methods, sources and data Mutual interaction of institutions in practice: cooperation and competition Impact of enlargement in institutional framework and its functioning Democratic deficit of the EU: real problem? Seminars' topics: Treaty on European Constitution and Lisbon Treaty: Changes for institutional framework Databases containing information on EU institutions functioning Dynamics of institutional relations displayed on negotiations of concrete legislative acts EU Presidency Way out of democratic deficit?

Learning activities and teaching methods
Monologic Lecture(Interpretation, Training)
Learning outcomes
The main objective of the one-semester long course EU Institutions it to give students of the MA programme with detailed overview of EU political institutions from their inception to the presence, together with their structure, aims, tasks and position on the overall hierarchy of the EU. The emphasis is given to the practical comprehension of the problems, especially regarding the dynamics of interinstitutional relations and concrete outputs of the system.
Students who have completed this course get the knowledge and skills required to comprehend theoretical and practical aspects of EU institutional framework.
Prerequisites
The completion of this course is not conditioned upon completion of any other courses.

Assessment methods and criteria
Student performance

Attendance in seminars, delivery of presentation and successful result of in-seminar tests and final written test are required in order to receive exam. The student is required to work with the learning objects, which have been created for the concrete subject and are available for authorized students in LMS EDIS.
Recommended literature
  • Craig, P., & de Búrca, G. (2024). EU law: Text, cases, and materials (8th ed.).. Oxford.
  • Dinan, Desmond; Nugent, Neill; Paterson, William E. (eds.). The European Union in Crisis. 2024.
  • Ester Herlin-Karnell, Gerard Conway and Aravind Ganesh. (2021). European Union Law in Context.
  • Fiala, Petr, Krutílek, Ondřej, Pitrová, Markéta. (2018). Evropská unie. Centrum pro studium demokracie a kultury (CDK).
  • Hix, S. and Hoyland, B. The Political System of the European Union (4th ed.). Bloomsbury. 2022.
  • Hodson, Dermont, Puetter, Uwe, Saurugger, Sabine and Peterson, John (eds). (2022). The Institutions of the European Union. Fifth Edition.. Oxford.
  • Michelle Cini, Nieves Pérez Solórzano Borragán. European Union Politics - 7th Edition. 2022.
  • NUGENT, Neill and RIPOLL SERVENT, Ariadna. The Government and Politics of the European Union (9th edition). London. 2026.
  • Schütze, Robert. (2021). European Union Law, 3rd ed. Oxford.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester
Faculty: Faculty of Law Study plan (Version): European Law and EU Policies (EPAPEU2022) Category: Law, legal and public administration proceeding 2 Recommended year of study:2, Recommended semester: Winter