Working Paper 2/2007 - Towards a European Social Model. Preconditions, difficulties and prospects of a European social policy.

European integration has since the mid-fifties been principally economic in nature. Market creating policy is now very much conducted at supranational level. Failure to sufficiently address social policy considerations at the same level has historically resulted in the growth of market-correcting policies in the form of different national social policies and welfare structures which now coexist within the EU. With this historical background, this publication provides an analysis of some of the social policy responses to the process of European economic integration along with some the challenges facing the development of a European Social Model and its prospects at EU level.