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What are the Future Prospects for the European Social Model?
An Analysis of EU Equal Opportunities and Employment Policy
Author(s) -
Ter Haar Beryl Philine,
Copeland Paul
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
european law journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.351
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1468-0386
pISSN - 1351-5993
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-0386.2010.00508.x
Subject(s) - cohesion (chemistry) , european social model , european commission , soft law , commission , economics , political science , economic system , social policy , law , european union , economic policy , international law , chemistry , organic chemistry
The aim of our article is to examine the future prospects of the European Social Model (ESM). First, the article defines the ESM as a mixture of hard law, soft law and underlying norms and values. Second, the article analyses the ESM on a more detailed level in the case of the law of equal opportunities and employment through a historical account and the legal dynamics of integration. The results of the analysis indicate a growing integration capacity of the ESM. Yet, this runs counter to the current neoliberal preferences of the Barroso Commission which has moved from a strategy of combining economic growth and social cohesion, to one in which economic growth creates social cohesion.