Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE PPL5111

 
TITLE Managing EU Policy

 
UM LEVEL 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course

 
MQF LEVEL 7

 
ECTS CREDITS 5

 
DEPARTMENT Public Policy

 
DESCRIPTION Managing EU policy involves a multi-actor/multi-level playing field, comprising both EU institutions and national/local entities in all stages of policy-making, namely formulation, implementation and evaluation. The unit’s content embraces a critical outlook towards all major institutions and processes that characterise the dynamics of EU policy. More specifically, the unit will first probe into the processes of agenda setting, policy formulation, decision-making, implementation and evaluation at EU level. Then, the focus turns to Member-State level wherein intricacies of the coordination of EU affairs at national level are exposed and assessed. Students will have the opportunity to discuss the various roles and functions involved, including methods of consultation and coordination among government, business and NGOs across the different stages of the EU policy cycle.

Whilst the study-unit tries to map out the empirical layout of EU policy coordination, nonetheless it rests on the concept of Europeanisation to serve as an explanatory theoretical framework.

Study-Unit Aims:

This study-unit is intended to:
(a) expose the institutions involved in the EU policy cycle both at the European and national arena;
(b) explain the processes of coordination, consultation and lobbying involved within the EU policy cycle;
(c) provide the theoretical framework of Europeanisation in order to better understand the empirical dynamics involving both institutions and processes.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:
(a) demonstrate a strong comprehension of the core institutions and processes that are responsible for managing EU policy based on the multi-level governance model;
(b) comprehend the opportunities and challenges in managing EU policy;
(c) comprehend the official channels of consultation and coordination and, at the same time, recognise the potential of lobbying behind closed doors;
(d) employ the theoretical framework of Europeanisation and explain the top-down, bottom-up and lateral dynamics across the different institutions involved.

2. Skills:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:
(a) apply the model of the EU policy cycle to specific policy domains, for example the environment, energy, social policy, etc.;
(b) critically assess, evaluate and develop methods of stakeholders’ and public consultations;
(c) deal with informal lobbying that is usually done behind closed doors;
(d) utilise the know how on managing EU policies when researching and writing a dissertation.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Main Text:

(a) Cini, Michelle (2007), European Union Politics, UK: Oxford.

Supplementary Readings:

(a) Knill, Christoph (2001), The Europeanisation of National Administration: Patterns of Institutional Change and Persistence, UK: Cambridge University Press.
(b) Sager, Fritz and Overeem, Patrick (2015), The European Public Servant: A shared Administrative Identity?, UK: ECPR Press.
(c) Vassallo, Mario Thomas (2016), The Europeanization of Interest Groups in Malta and Ireland: A Small State Perspective, USA: Palgrave Macmillan.

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES Pre-requisite Qualification: Bachelor of Commerce

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture and Tutorial

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Case Study (Take Home) SEM2 Yes 40%
Examination (2 Hours) SEM2 Yes 60%

 
LECTURER/S Kurt Borg
Jean Claude Cachia
Marguerite Camilleri
Marie Louise Mangion
Mario Thomas Vassallo (Co-ord.)

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit