IPM7730 - HOMELAND SECURITY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

Module Identifier

IPM7730

Module Title

HOMELAND SECURITY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

Academic Year

2005/2006

Co-ordinator

Mr Christian Kaunert

Semester

Semester 2

Course delivery

Seminars / Tutorials

10 x 2 hour seminars

Assessment

Assessment Type	Assessment Length/Details	Proportion
Semester Assessment	1 x 2500 word essay	40%
Semester Assessment	1 x 4500 word essay	60%

Learning outcomes

On completion of this module, students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate an informed understanding of the European Union'r role in the internal security field in Europe
2. Display an informed comprehension of the major internal threats to Europe
3. Display a detailed knowledge of the functioning of the EU'r institutional structure and policy-process in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ)
4. Analyse and illustrate how the study of the AFSJ can be both informed by and itself inform theories
5. Analyse the major theories from the field of EU studies and security studies
6. Analyse the major policies in the field and demonstrate the ability to use primary documents
7. Discuss the significance of the AFSJ for the European integration project more generally
8. Critically assess the central problems facing the European Union currently and in the future
9. Demonstrate the development of cognitive, communicative (oral as well as written) and research skills.

Aims

This module adds to the Departmental provision in the area of European Union. The principal aim of the module is to address the role of the EU in the field of internal or `Homeland¿ security. It complements existing provisions in this area and allows participating students to gain specialist knowledge of this increasingly essential policy field in Europe.

Brief description

Homeland security is one of the most important policy areas after the terrorist attacks on New York, Madrid and London on both sides of the Atlantic. However, it is only the tip of the iceberg of a political process which is much deeper, i.e. the increasing identifying of new security threats after the end of the Cold War. Consequently, policy makers in the European Union have developed policies to counter the newly emerging threats. This module is concerned with the origins, the policy-making process, and the driving factors of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice of the European Union, also known as Justice and Home Affairs.

Content

Co-operation in the Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice (AFSJ) has already and may well continue to drive a new wave of European integration. The AFSJ covers most of the possible internal threats, such as international terrorism, drug trafficking, trafficking in human beings, and organised crime in general, alongside issues such as asylum and migration. Topics included are:

The Schengen Area ¿ Europe without Borders?
EU counter-terrorism agenda versus civil liberties and freedom?
Police, criminal and judicial cooperation ¿ the emergence of European FBI and CIA?
The securitization of asylum and migration policy?
How to integrate migrants better into European societies, and what does the EU do?
What are the institutional mechanisms in the area?
What are the driving factors behind the processes identified?
What is the influence of the Constitutional Treaty and Enlargement on the area?

Module Skills

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 7