It presents the different stages of integration (from the customs union, free trade area, common market... to the economic union), problems and benefits, policies and the movement for the completion of a single market, supported by empirical studies and theories from both the political and economic point of view upon the dimensions of widening and deepening.

The course is intended to give the students a better knowledge of the opportunities given by international trade (and by other economic movements), being nowadays quite clear the advantages of openness, not of protectionism. Being the European Union by far the biggest economic and commercial space of the world, the course has in particular the purpose of showing to students of other areas (in particular students from Asia )the opportunities offered by that single market, with a currency already adopted by 19 of the member countries.