European Union’s transformative impact on its direct neighborhood was obvious in the case of 2004 and 2007 waves of enlargement. Both political as well as economic reforms of Central and East European states were induced partly due to the motivation coming from the so called ‘waiting room syndrome’.  The element of conditionality still seems to be an important factor of changes and reforms undertaken in states aspiring to association or full membership. This fact is explored by the EU in formulating the criteria and standards of democratization and market economy. The potential members, like Ukraine or Turkey, need to take this fact into account.

Europeanisation is one of the fastest growing strand of European integration studies.

The course will refer to main conceptualizations of the mechanism of conditionality (historically and speculatively – in the future) as well as to this part of Europeanisation studies that emphasize the external impact of EU.

Focusing the interest of the students on the impact that the process of European integration has on its member states institutions, policies, party systems, political discourse and  behavior – the Europeanisation does not pay necessary attention on its influence outside of the borders of the EU. The key mechanism here would be conditionality – setting conditions, criteria and standards to be met by those parties (usually aspiring association or membership status) before granting them with expected benefits – subsidies, funds, access, etc.  This strategy, very often used also by other international organizations, like the World Bank or International Monetary Found, seems to be one of the general trends of globalization enabling the more powerful parties to orient the policies of their applicant partners in the highly desirable direction.  The students of the course will have the opportunity to investigate (if and) how the post-enlargement Europeanisation functions both inside as well as outside of the EU.

M.W. Bauer, C. Knill, D. Pitschel, Differential Europeanization in Eastern Europe: The Impact of Diverse EU Regulatory Governance Patterns. Journal of European Integration. Vol. 29, nr 4, 2007

1. Schimmelfennig, U. Sedelmeier, Governance by conditionality: EU rule transfer to the candidate countries of Central and East Europe. Journal of European Public Policy, n4 11 (4) 2004

1. Riedel, Conditionality as a Mechanism of EU Foreign Policy – EUropeanisation of Close Neighbourhood, in: Conference Papers EU Policies in the Making, International Conference – Wyższa Szkoła Europejska im. ks. Józefa Tischnera. Cracow 2008

1. Riedel, Europeanisation as a Research Strand in EU Studies, „Studia Europejskie” nr 2 (46) 2008 (European Studies – periodical published at: European Center of Warsaw University) p. 209-222