Unlock Europe: Summer Immersion in EU Policy-making, Law & Economics Programme

Welcome to our two-week Study Abroad Programme designed for students wishing to deepen their understanding of the European Union's policy-making processes. The programme incorporates a Law & Economics perspective, providing participants with a unique interdisciplinary approach to understanding EU policies. Over the span of two weeks, participants will engage with comprehensive modules that explore the EU's decision-making procedures, regulatory practices, and policy evaluation methods.

Participants will have the opportunity to interact with EU practitioners, participate in case studies, and gain hands-on experience through workshops and simulations. This programme is designed to equip students with the necessary skills to navigate the complexities of EU governance while providing a broader perspective on how the EU compares to other political systems, such as that of the US.

Programme Overview

Week 1: Introduction to EU Policy-Making, Law & Economics

Day 1: Understanding the EU Policy Cycle
This module offers an in-depth look into the EU policy-making process. Students will explore the roles of the European Commission, Parliament, and Council, and how they work together to shape EU policies. Through interactive scenarios, participants will understand how policies are created, from initial consultation to final implementation, with a special focus on regulatory burdens and policy outcomes.

Day 2: The EU Better Regulation Approach
This workshop introduces students to the EU's approach to creating effective legislation. The focus will be on the full cycle of regulatory development, including tools like impact assessments, public consultations, foresight, and monitoring and evaluation systems. Students will explore how the EU ensures transparency and adherence to principles such as subsidiarity and proportionality in policy-making.

Day 3: Comparing Policy Approaches
This module focuses on exploring and comparing the EU policy cycle with national policy systems, with particular attention to the United States. Through an interactive approach, students will examine the EU’s multi-level governance structure, characterized by its consensus-driven processes involving the European Commission, Parliament, Council, member states, and stakeholders. This will be contrasted with the United States’ system of strong separation of powers, where policymaking may involve competition between Congress and the executive, and with centralized unitary systems like France, where the executive dominates. Using case studies, group discussions, and comparative analysis, students will identify key trade-offs between inclusivity, efficiency, and accountability in policymaking. The session will culminate in student-led presentations proposing how lessons from other systems might improve the EU’s policymaking, encouraging critical reflection and application of theoretical insights.

Day 4: Preparing Policy: Impact Assessment in the EU
This session covers the principles of Impact Assessment (IA), including problem analysis, defining objectives, and developing and comparing policy options. The module will address techniques for data collection and analysis, stakeholder engagement, and quality control. Quantitative methods such as cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, and multi-criteria analysis will be introduced, using real-world case studies to apply these techniques.

Day 5: Visit to EU Institutions and Discussions with Practitioners
To round off the first week, students will visit EU institutions such as the European Commission and Parliament. They will engage in discussions with practitioners and policymakers, gaining insight into the day-to-day workings of the EU and the practical applications of the concepts learned during the programme.

Week 2: Advanced Techniques and Practical Applications

Day 6: Red Tape Reduction and Simplification
During this module, students will explore the challenges of administrative burdens and examine recent approaches to enhancing government efficiency, including the EU’s Regulatory Fitness and Performance Program (REFIT) and the application of the Standard Cost Model (SCM) to quantify and reduce regulatory costs. The module will also delve into the Digitalisation of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiatives, showcasing how digital solutions, like automating compliance reporting and leveraging AI, can simplify administrative processes. Through hands-on exercises, participants will evaluate regulatory burdens and propose innovative solutions, drawing on best practices from the EU and beyond.

Day 7: Quantification & Monetization of Policy Impact
This workshop focuses on techniques for quantifying the social and environmental impacts of policy initiatives using stated and revealed preference methods. Participants will explore how stated preference methods, such as contingent valuation and choice experiments, can capture individual preferences for non-market goods, while revealed preference methods, such as the travel cost method and hedonic pricing, infer values from actual behavior. Through practical exercises and case studies, participants will learn how to apply these approaches and effectively incorporate social and environmental valuations into policy design and assessment.

Day 8: Policy Evaluation Techniques
This module teaches participants best practices for evaluating policies, combining theoretical frameworks with practical application. Through hands-on sessions, students will explore both qualitative methods, such as stakeholder interviews, focus groups, and case study analysis, and quantitative approaches, including counterfactual analysis using randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-experimental designs. They will also delve into theory-based evaluation methods, such as theory of change and logic models, to understand how and why policies achieve their outcomes.

Day 9: Case Studies in EU Policy
This session is dedicated to analyzing real-world case studies of EU policy initiatives, focusing on the EU Artificial Intelligence Act and the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Participants will apply the knowledge and skills gained in previous modules on impact assessment, policy evaluation, and administrative efficiency to critically examine these policies.

Day 10: International Negotiation Simulation Exercise
Students will participate in a one-day simulation exercise mirroring the complex negotiation process among the 27 EU Member States for establishing a Free Trade Agreement with a third country. This dynamic role-play offers participants an immersive experience in EU decision-making, providing valuable insights into how the Union balances diverse national interests to forge collective policy outcomes.

The assessment for this summer school will be based on a combination of class participation, in-class presentations, and a final paper submission. Active class participation will be evaluated throughout the sessions, focusing on students’ engagement in discussions, group activities, and their ability to apply learned concepts during interactive exercises.

Each group will deliver an in-class presentation analyzing a specific policy initiative or case study, where students will be assessed on the clarity of their argument, use of evidence, and teamwork. After the conclusion of the summer school, participants will submit an individual paper that integrates insights from the modules, applying key methodologies such as impact assessment, policy evaluation, and efficiency analyses to a chosen policy or theme. The paper will demonstrate the student’s ability to synthesize knowledge, critically analyze policy challenges, and propose evidence-based recommendations.