Participation through the Lisbon strategy: comparing the European Employment Strategy and pensions OMC

2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Natali ◽  
Caroline de la Porte
Keyword(s):  
Present Article ◽  
Social Partner ◽  
Lisbon Strategy ◽  
Limited Participation ◽  
Social Partnership ◽  
Open Method Of Coordination ◽  
Amsterdam Treaty ◽  
Social Partners ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
The Eu

The present article aims to shed light on the concrete implementation of the Lisbon strategy with regard to its governance framework and to participation (of social partners) in particular. The focus is on the European Employment Strategy (EES) (defined in the Amsterdam Treaty of 1997 and then integrated into the broader Lisbon strategy that emerged in 2000) and the open method of coordination on pensions (the process of soft coordination of pension reforms agreed at the Stockholm Council of 2001). While the EU discourse has a strong emphasis on social partnership, evidence from the two cases in this article shows limited participation. While social partner access varies considerably between coordination processes, it is evident that expectations concerning increased participation have not been fulfilled in the Lisbon strategy.

Building social partnership? Strengths and shortcomings of the European Employment Strategy

2005 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 045-063 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernard H. Casey
Keyword(s):  
Trade Unions ◽  
Social Partner ◽  
Employment Policy ◽  
European Level ◽  
Social Partnership ◽  
Imple Mentation ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Partners ◽  
Working Together ◽  
Partner Participation

The European Employment Strategy is now seven years old. Whilst its contribution to improving labour market performance has been evaluated, less attention has been paid to the manner in which the EES has worked, in particular the ways in which policy has been formulated and implemented. In particular, there has been little investigation of the extent to which one of the stated objectives of the strategy – the improved involvement of the social partners in the formulation and imple-mentation of policy – has been achieved. This paper argues that in many respects this objective has not been met. Even in countries where social partnership structures appear relatively well developed, the Luxembourg process has added little – in part because it is seen to be concerned with technical matters. Employment policy is ‘settled’ elsewhere. In addition, realisation of those elements of the strategy where social partner participation is most critical has often been frustrated by the lack of mechanisms to implement commitments made at the centre at places of work. Moreover, by subscribing to the strategy, social partners were also subscribing to a wider approach to economic policy – an approach that was scarcely compatible with the approach advocated by trade unions. Accordingly, the conclusion has to be that the Luxembourg process failed to develop social partnership. An exception might be the closer working together of the European-level social partner associations. However, their involvement in the strategy has been little noticed by their constituents, and it might even be argued to have encouraged elitism rather than to have promoted greater participation in policy-making.

Functionalism vs Westphalia: the looking glass of employment policy

2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Ross
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
White Paper ◽  
Employment Policy ◽  
Lisbon Strategy ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Amsterdam Treaty ◽  
Innovative Methodology ◽  
Critical Policy ◽  
Looking Glass ◽  
The Eu

Many key ideas in the Lisbon strategy can be traced back to the Delors Commission's 1993 White Paper on Growth, Competitiveness and Employment, arguably the EU's first major effort to confront the economic and social realities of globalisation. At the time the White Paper failed to achieve the results it sought. However, the core of the White Paper's labour market issues were taken up by the Amsterdam Treaty which initiated the European Employment Strategy and its innovative methodology, the open method of coordination (OMC). The Lisbon strategy, which followed soon thereafter, broadened this approach into a new mission to enhance the competitiveness of the EU which used the OMC extensively. However, EU Member States, zealous of their prerogatives in economic, labour market and social policies, were unwilling to grant the EU level significant roles for transnational coordination and implementation in these areas. The results have not matched the outpouring of support for Lisbon from progressive intellectuals and centre-left politicians. In the critical policy areas that the 1993 White Paper, the EES and the Lisbon strategy have addressed, contradictions between intergovernmentalism and the need for European coordination have led to suboptimal results.

Modernisation of State aid block exemptions

2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-281
Author(s):  
René Plank
Keyword(s):  
Financial Crisis ◽  
Present Article ◽  
Central Element ◽  
State Aid ◽  
Policy Response ◽  
Eu Policy ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
Block Exemption ◽  
The Eu

AbstractEU State aid rules were subject to a major parallel overhaul between 2012 and 2014 in the context of „State Aid Modernisation“. With most of the rules recently adopted, the present article aims to shed light on the context and objectives of this reform, in particular the financial crisis, and take stock of the EU policy response in numerous new Council and Commission Regulations, Guidelines and Notices. A central element of the reform and focus of this article are the new State aid block exemption rules adopted on 17 June 2014.

Considering Territorial Agendas of the EU in context of Rising of Territorial Dimension of Cohesion Policy

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 244-257
Author(s):  
İclal Kaya Altay ◽  
◽  
Shqiprim Ahmeti ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
The Other ◽  
Lisbon Strategy ◽  
Cohesion Policy ◽  
Setting Process ◽  
The World ◽  
Territorial Cohesion ◽  
Descriptive Language ◽  
The Eu

The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe ads territorial cohesion as Union’s third goal, beside economic and social cohesion and lists it as a shared competence. In the other hand, the Lisbon Strategy aims to turn Europe into the most competitive area of sustainable growth in the world and it is considered that the Territorial cohesion policy should contribute to it. This paper is structured by a descriptive language while deduction method is used. It refers to official documents, strategies, agendas and reports, as well as books, articles and assessments related to topic. This paper covers all of two Territorial Agendas as well as the background of territorial cohesion thinking and setting process of territorial cohesion policy.

Las funciones del interregionalismo en la relación UE-CAN

Oikos ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (29) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Olga María Cerqueira Torres
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Present Article ◽  
The Political ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Integration Process ◽  
Association Agreement ◽  
Political Rationality ◽  
Article Analysis ◽  
Andean Community ◽  
The Eu

RESUMENEn el presente artículo el análisis se ha centrado en determinar cuáles de las funciones del interregionalismo, sistematizadas en los trabajos de Jürgen Rüland, han sido desarrolladas en la relación Unión Europea-Comunidad Andina de Naciones, ya que ello ha permitido evidenciar si el estado del proceso de integración de la CAN ha condicionado la racionalidad política del comportamiento de la Unión Europea hacia la región andina (civil power o soft imperialism); esto posibilitará establecer la viabilidad de la firma del Acuerdo de Asociación Unión Europea-Comunidad Andina de Naciones.Palabras clave: Unión Europea, Comunidad Andina, interregionalismo, funciones, acuerdo de asociación. Interregionalism functions in the EU-ANDEAN community relationsABSTRACTIn the present article analysis has focused on which functions of interregionalism, systematized by Jürgen Rüland, have been developed in the European Union-Andean Community birregional relation, that allowed demonstrate if the state of the integration process in the Andean Community has conditioned the political rationality of the European Union towards the Andean region (civil power or soft imperialism); with all these elements will be possible to establish the viability of the Association Agreement signature between the European Union and the Andean Community.Keywords: European Union, Andean Community, interregionalism, functions, association agreement.

scholarly journals The European Committee of the Regions as a watchdog of the principle of subsidiarity

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 284-301
Author(s):  
Salvatore Fabio Nicolosi ◽  
Lisette Mustert
Keyword(s):  
European Commission ◽  
Legislative Process ◽  
European Committee ◽  
Legislative Proposal ◽  
The Right ◽  
Committee Of The Regions ◽  
Regional Funds ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
The Eu

In a resolution adopted on 1 February 2018, the European Committee of the Regions noted that a legislative proposal of the European Commission concerning a Regulation that changes the rules governing the EU regional funds for 2014-2020 did not comply with the principle of subsidiarity. Accordingly, the Committee considered challenging the legislative proposal before the Court of Justice if the proposal was formally agreed upon. Although at a later stage the European Commission decided to take into account the Committee’s argument and amended the proposal accordingly, such a context offers the chance to investigate more in detail the role of the Committee of the Regions in the legislative process of the EU and, more in particular, its role as a watchdog of the principle of subsidiarity. This paper aims to shed light on a rather neglected aspect of the EU constitutional practice, such as the potential of the Committee of the Regions to contribute to the legislative process, and answer the question of whether this Committee is the right body to guarantee compliance with the principle of subsidiarity.

scholarly journals Self-employment as a stepping stone to better labor market matching: a comparison between immigrants and natives

2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (4) ◽  
pp. 479-501
Author(s):  
Magdalena Ulceluse
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Labour Force Survey ◽  
Self Employment ◽  
Barriers To Employment ◽  
Labor Market Matching ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
The Eu

AbstractThe paper investigates the relation between overeducation and self-employment, in a comparative analysis between immigrants and natives. Using the EU Labour Force Survey for the year 2012 and controlling for a list of demographic characteristics and general characteristics of 30 destination countries, it finds that the likelihood of being overeducated decreases for self-employed immigrants, with inconclusive results for self-employed natives. The results shed light on the extent to which immigrants adjust to labor market imperfections and barriers to employment and might help explain the higher incidence of self-employment that immigrants exhibit, when compared to natives. This is the first study to systematically study the nexus between overeducation and self-employment in a comparative framework. Moreover, the paper tests the robustness of the results by employing two different measures of overeducation, contributing to the literature of the measurement of overeducation.

Between entrepreneurs and workers: Cleavages and compromises in rationales and policy solutions regarding ‘dependent contractors’

2021 ◽  
pp. 0143831X2110303
Author(s):  
Louis Florin ◽  
François Pichault
Keyword(s):  
Social Protection ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Policy Documents ◽  
The Social ◽  
Political Narratives ◽  
Social Partners ◽  
Narrative Policy Framework ◽  
Policy Solutions ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Labour Regulation

The emergence of dependent contractors challenges the existing institutions regarding social protection and labour regulation. This article aims at identifying the political narratives that explain the emergence of New Forms of Employment (NFE) and dependent contracting along with the policy solutions proposed by the social partners at the EU and international level. By analysing policy documents from the social partners through the lens of a qualitative version of the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF), the authors indentify two distinct narratives – ‘devaluation of work’ and ‘entrepreneurship and flexibility’. The authors show how these rationales lead to various policy solutions and identify oppositions and possible compromise.

scholarly journals Institutions or resources and capabilities? Explaining engagement in European sectoral social dialogue

2021 ◽  
pp. 0143831X2110160
Author(s):  
Thomas Prosser ◽  
Barbara Bechter ◽  
Manuela Galetto ◽  
Sabrina Weber ◽  
Bengt Larsson
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Social Partner ◽  
Transnational Governance ◽  
Social Dialogue ◽  
Partner Preferences ◽  
Institutional Influences ◽  
Social Partners ◽  
Resources And Capabilities ◽  
Insight Into

In this article the authors analyse social partner engagement in European sectoral social dialogue, testing two prominent theories to disentangle sector and country dynamics: institutional and resources and capabilities theories. While institutional theory accounted for certain social partner preferences, resources and capability theory proved stronger in predicting participation and provided insight into regulatory preferences. The authors conclude that resources and capability theory better explains their case, associating it with weaknesses of transnational governance. Specifically, limited incentives for participation mean that social partners with fewer resources forego participation, entailing pre-eminence of social partners with greater resources and hindering outcomes reflecting national institutional influences.

scholarly journals Opening the black box: Actors and interactions shaping European sectoral social dialogue

2021 ◽  
pp. 095968012110000
Author(s):  
Barbara Bechter ◽  
Sabrina Weber ◽  
Manuela Galetto ◽  
Bengt Larsson ◽  
Thomas Prosser
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Black Box ◽  
Social Partner ◽  
Organizational Resources ◽  
Eu Policy ◽  
Social Dialogue ◽  
Or Groups ◽  
Social Partners ◽  
Work Programme

This article highlights the importance of organizational resources and individual capabilities for interactions and relationships among social partners in European sectoral social dialogue committees (SSDCs). We use an actor-centred approach to investigate work programme setting in the hospital and metalworking SSDCs. Our research reveals differences in how European social partner organizations coordinate and integrate members in SSDCs. In hospital, European Union (EU)-social partners build bridges that span otherwise separate actors or groups. The findings suggest that the absence of bridging efforts can lead to the dominance of a few actors. In metalworking, small cohesive groups are more effective in forming close networks and determining work programmes. While work programmes in hospital represent issues which are on national agendas, in metalworking, they focus mainly on EU policy areas.

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