Lecture on Economics of European Integration

Winter semester 2024/2025

Course Content

I. Main elements of the EU Single Market

  • Main steps in European integration, institutions, legislative procedure
  • Static welfare effects of free trade and customs union
  • Cross-border value chains
  • Static welfare effects of labour mobility
  • Migration in the European union – motivation and hurdles, qualification and job match
  • Capital mobility, technological progress, growth and convergence
  • EU competition policy – rationale and instruments
  • Potential output and output gaps – concept, production function approach, structural unemployment rate, growth accounting

II. Monetary union and financial markets

  • Pros and cons of a common currency
  • The 2008/9 financial crisis – characteristics, forces and costs
  • EU Banking Union – rationale, institutions, key issues
  • The European Monetary System (EMS) – basic features
  • The Euro System – entry conditions and structure
  • Monetary policy in the euro area – main transmission channels, instruments and policies

III. Fiscal policy and governance

  • Government balances and debt – key definitions, debt dynamics and cyclical adjustment
  • Fiscal policy – impact, challenge
  • Fiscal governance – rationale, surveillance and its limitations, no-bail-out clause and credibility

Please sign up for the course in ZEUS

The course material can be found on ILIAS (for registered students).

Lecture & Tutorial Dates

All sessions will take place on location at the university. Lecture dates:

First Block, November 2024: Date Time Room
Monday 04.11.2024 08:15 - 11:30 D301
Tuesday  05.11.2024 08:15 - 11:30 D301
Wednesday 06.11.2024 13:30 - 16:45 E402
Thursday 07.11.2024 13:30 - 16:45 E402
       
Second Block, January 2025:      
Monday 13.01.2025 08:15 - 11:30 D301
Tuesday  14.01.2025 08:15 - 11:30 D301
Wednesday 15.01.2025 08:15 - 11:30 C424
Thursday 16.01.2025 08:15 - 11:30 M630

Form of Assessment

Exam (Registration to the exam requires preparation of written answers on two papers).

Exam date to be added.