Often overlooked in general policy journals, European Union (EU) social policy has gone through a remarkable expansion in the 1980s and 1990s. Some even argued that it was laying the foundation for a European welfare state. Through a brief review of its development and role in European integration theory, this article will argue that, despite its expansion, EU social policy lacks vital financial and political muscle to significantly affect national welfare regimes and create a European welfare state. Moreover, its broad guidelines and flexible implementation may even encourage national social policy diversification rather than harmonization. Following this conclusion, the article will briefly speculate on the future of EU social policy and social policy research.
Reprints and Corporate Permissions
Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?
To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:
Academic Permissions
Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?
Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:
If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.
Related research
People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.
Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.
Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.