Die Arbeit problematisiert die Schwierigkeiten einer gesamteuropäischen Sozialpolitik im Lichte der sog. Offenen Methode der Koordinierung (engl. Open Method of Coordination). Wie funktioniert dieses neue Instrument europäischer Politik, welche konkreten Erfahrungen wurden bisher gesammelt, und hat die Offene Methode der Koordinierung das Potenzial eine gesamteuropäische Sozialpolitik zu ermöglichen? Die vorliegende Arbeit gibt Antworten auf diese Fragen und problematisiert das Thema im Lichte der aktuellen Wohlfahrtsstaatsforschung.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Welfare-State Diversity under changing Conditions
2.1. Three Idealtypes of Welfare-Regimes in Europe
2.2. The Impact of Europeanisation on National Welfare-State Regimes
3. OMC as a Means to develop Social Europe?
3.1. The Open Method of Co-ordination (OMC)
3.2. Concept and History European Employment Strategy (EES)
3.3. Intermediary Results and Prospects of the EES
4. Résumé: Building Social Europe through the Open Method of Co-ordination?
5. References
Research Objective and Thematic Scope
This paper assesses whether the Open Method of Co-ordination (OMC) serves as an effective mechanism to foster a social dimension within the European Union, specifically addressing the tensions created by economic integration and the limits imposed on national welfare systems. The analysis investigates the structural diversity of European welfare regimes and the challenges posed by the EMU and the single market to national policy autonomy.
- Welfare-state diversity and the typology of welfare regimes in Europe.
- Impact of Europeanization, EMU, and the Single Market on national welfare states.
- Theoretical conceptualization and functional mechanics of the Open Method of Co-ordination.
- Assessment of the European Employment Strategy (EES) as a prototype of the OMC.
- Evaluation of the effectiveness, policy-learning, and democratic accountability of soft governance modes.
Excerpt from the Book
The Liberal Welfare-State:
The liberal welfare-state, also known as the beveridgean type, puts the main emphasis of welfare-production on the market. In this function he is actively supported by the state, i.e. through subsidising private, voluntary and actuarially insurance contracts. The state itself has in this setting a rather marginal role by guaranteeing only minimum and means-tested flat-rate benefits to the needy. The intended effect is on one hand a setting of incentives to participate in the market-process, so that negatively spoken the “limits of welfare equal the marginal propensity to opt for welfare instead of work” (ibid.: 26). Hence this type of welfare-regime leads to a considerable degree of commodification and, because of the means-testing nature of state-assistance, to a stigmatisation of the needy. On the other hand the referred arrangements establish a relatively high degree of stratification between equally poor state-welfare recipients and wealthier market-based insurance proprietors, thereby generating a “class-political dualism” (ibid.: 27). The role of the family in generating welfare is amongst other things, due the individualist legacy of liberalism, marginal in the ideal-typical form of this welfare-state regime.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Provides the contextual background of European integration and introduces the Open Method of Co-ordination as a response to the challenges of reconciling market integration with national social protection.
2. Welfare-State Diversity under changing Conditions: Examines the functional definition of welfare-statehood and categorizes European regimes into three ideal-types before analyzing the constraints imposed by EU-level policies like the EMU.
3. OMC as a Means to develop Social Europe?: Explores the theoretical properties of the Open Method of Co-ordination and evaluates the practical application and intermediary outcomes of the European Employment Strategy.
4. Résumé: Building Social Europe through the Open Method of Co-ordination?: Synthesizes the findings to conclude that while the OMC offers a theoretical pathway for coordination, its practical impact is currently limited by significant implementation deficits and a lack of macro-political alignment.
5. References: Compiles the academic literature and official documents used throughout the research.
Keywords
Open Method of Co-ordination, Social Europe, Welfare-state diversity, European Employment Strategy, Policy-learning, EMU, Europeanisation, Governance, De-commodification, Stratification, Soft coordination, Social policy, Benchmarking, Labour market, Single market.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this academic work?
The paper examines whether the Open Method of Co-ordination (OMC) is an adequate tool to promote a social dimension in the European Union while member states face pressures from economic integration, such as the EMU and the single market.
What are the primary themes discussed?
The study centers on welfare-state regimes, the impacts of European-level constraints on national policy, and the effectiveness of soft governance approaches to social policy.
What is the main research question?
The work aims to determine if the OMC possesses the capacity to overcome the "functional asymmetry" between European market creation and national social welfare protection.
Which methodology is applied in this research?
The author uses a qualitative analysis approach, drawing upon existing academic literature, policy documents, and specific evaluations of the European Employment Strategy to theorize and critique current EU governance modes.
What does the main part of the book address?
The main body of the text categorizes European welfare states into ideal-types, analyzes the pressures of the EMU and single market, and evaluates the implementation and "learning" mechanisms inherent in the European Employment Strategy.
Which keywords define this paper?
Key concepts include the Open Method of Co-ordination, Social Europe, welfare-state diversity, policy-learning, and the European Employment Strategy.
Why are the three ideal-types of welfare-states significant to the argument?
They demonstrate that European welfare models are fundamentally incompatible due to different normative, procedural, and structural setups, making a "one-size-fits-all" approach to a European Social Model impossible.
How does the author evaluate the "Open Method of Co-ordination" in practice?
The author argues that while the OMC has theoretical potential for policy-learning and bottom-up innovation, it currently suffers from severe implementation deficits, a lack of social partner involvement, and political weakness compared to the EU's economic priorities.
- Quote paper
- Robert Schütte (Author), 2005, Building social Europe through the open method of coordination, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/45543
