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SoSe 21: EU strategies dealing with social and regional inequality: From the Single European Act to the Green New Deal

Dieter Plehwe, Moritz Neujeffski

Comments

Although the European Integration process and the European Union since Maastricht are widely considered a neoliberal project, the EU cohesion policy still constitutes the key element of European redistribution across national borders. Public finance for Europe’s regional and structural funds and for European Agriculture have been increased in the late 1980s to cushion the impact of the Single Market Agenda. But funding has not been increased following the accession of new members from Eastern Europe. Following the Lisbon strategy to increase Europe’s competitiveness, European cohesion policy has also been subject to further revisions. Regional competitiveness has been added to the list of objectives and the range of regions eligible for support has been expanded to include more wealthier regions. The recent European commitment to a Green Deal is likely to imply additional adjustments in cohesion politics. How do changes in cohesion policy manifest themselves in the member states and in Brussels? How can the changes in policy agendas be interpreted and explained? Do we witness a departure from the commitment to regional and social equality? Do changes imply a neoliberalization of cohesion policy? Or do we witness rhetorical rather than substantive change? The seminar will run through the history and modification of cohesion policy and discuss the policy field in conjunction with integration theory and critical international political economy. We expect a commitment to intensive reading and discussion of course material on a regular basis, the preparation of summaries of key readings and in class (group) presentation of small research projects (based on literature and / or empirical material). close