This is the inaugural lesson of the macro topic, “Concepts and Categories to Understand the EU and Its Development and Working,” in the first module.
The objective of this lesson, led by Pietro Sala, is to engage in theoretical and scientific reflection on European integration.
The study of European integration did not begin as a neutral academic exercise; it emerged from a profound need to understand and shape a new political reality, Pietro says. According to historian Edward H. Carr, a discipline is born only when society perceives the urgency of addressing a fundamental problem. In the case of European integration, that problem was the political, economic, and moral devastation of World War II — and the determination to prevent such catastrophe from happening again.
From normative questions to a scientific field
Like the discipline of international relations, European integration studies began with normative reflections:
- How do we avoid another war?
- How do we organize peace in Europe?
- What should Europe become?
These questions were not descriptive, but prescriptive. Only later did the field evolve towards analytic and empirical research, seeking to understand how integration actually worked in practice.
This duality — mixing normative ambition and scientific observation — still defines European Studies today.
What makes European integration unique?
Unlike most political systems, the process of European integration involves continuous change of institutional frameworks, rather than adapting within fixed national boundaries. This makes it particularly difficult to study using traditional concepts from political science, law, or sociology — which are typically built around the nation-state.
As theorist Mario Albertini noted:
“The policy is stable; the institutions keep changing.”
That’s why understanding European integration requires an interdisciplinary approach — drawing on fields such as:
- History, to track its evolution,
- Law, to analyse the nature of EU institutions and their powers,
- Political science, to study how EU institutions work,
- Economics, to investigate public goods like the single market and currency,
- Sociology, to observe the emergence of a European society,
- Philosophy, to explore concepts like European identity or constitutional patriotism.
Over time, these approaches converged into a standalone field: European Studies, which combines empirical analysis with deep reflection on what the European Union is — and what it might become.
Ground, systemic, and sub-systemic theories
Political scientist Petterson identified three levels of analysis in this field:
- Ground theories – broad, overarching models (e.g. federalism, realism, neo-functionalism),
- Systemic theories – focused on EU-level policymaking and institutional behaviour,
- Sub-systemic theories – analysing specific policy areas or decision processes.
Each level offers partial insight, but only together can they explain the complexity of Europe’s supranational transformation.
Born from the desire to fix the failures of nationalism and war, the study of European integration is both a scientific discipline and a political project — one that continues to grow as Europe evolves.
