Urge - Social Europe Issues

Social Europe Issues

The European Union project has been built on a constant clash of different visions regarding further integration. Having established the Common market, some Member States, the European Commission and the European Parliament became the advocates of strengthening the social dimension of the European Union. The latter one was the response to voices from the ‘bottom’ of those fearing that the European integration served merely as a ‘transmission belt for globalisation’. In that context, the idea of Social Europe has emerged to counteract contemporary challenges such as demographic changes, problems on labour market or growing inequalities and ever expanding heterogeneity within European societies. The debate on the Constitutional, and then the Reform Treaty witnessed controversies among national governments, EU institutions and social groups regarding the further directions of the EU integration. Consequently, the European Union was equipped with instruments allowing to show more ‘caring dimension’ of Brussels-based institutions. The institutional framework building ‘Social Europe’ ranges from soft law instruments included in various streams of Open Method of Coordination, to hard law measures affecting domestic policies, and European financial incentives.

The goal of this section is to provide a detailed overview of new and interesting initiatives and projects leading to ‘Social Europe’. Each article will cover the genesis of various measures and their relevance, as well as the debate between the supporters and opponents. In short, the forthcoming editions of ‘Social Europe Issues’ will facilitate the evaluation of the idea of ‘Social Europe’: whether it is a new facet of the European Union or rather only a buzz word. This crucial question reflects the current debate among scholars and policy-makers about the relevance of recent initiatives and their added value to reaching two primary goals: improving the socio-economic situation in all Member States and whenever possible, bridging the gap between the EU and its citizens.

SOCIAL EUROPE ISSUES 3/2009
OLGA FAZZINI
Active Inclusion Strategy: New Synergies in Fighting Poverty

SOCIAL EUROPE ISSUES 2/2008
KRZYSZTOF NOWACZEK
Extending the equality principle to non-EU migrants: Analysing a Proposal for a Directive on Rights for Third-country Workers

SOCIAL EUROPE ISSUES 1/2007
KRZYSZTOF NOWACZEK
The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund: a social pilot project between political and economic realms

Official Documents

European Union

Consolidated Versions of the Treaty on European Union and of the Treaty establishing the European Community

Treaty amending the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty establishing the European Community (the Lisbon Treaty) (2007)

European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights (2000)

Lisbon Strategy (2000)

Renewed Lisbon Strategy (2005)

EU Anti-discrimination directives (2000)