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Social Policy in the European Union: State of Play 2016

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Social Policy in the European Union: State of Play 2016 European Trade Union Institute Bd du Roi Albert II, 5 1210 Brussels Belgium +32 (0)2 224 04 70 [email protected] www.etui.org Social policy in the European Union: state of play 2016 Edited by Bart Vanhercke, David Natali and Denis Bouget Social policy in the The 17th edition of Social policy in the European Union: state of play reports on recent EU and national social policymaking, with contributions from leading scholars pointing to a European Union: ‘crisis’, the best word to characterize 2015. Tensions in the EU reached an unprecedented level: the migration crisis showed the EU the limits of its decision-making capacity, state of play 2016 economic weakness continued to prevail, austerity policies and the badly handled socio- economic Greek crisis turned populations against the EU – and then came the Brexit vote. — Edited by This book argues that the centrifugal pressures within the EU and the EMU can be handled through a process of managed integration and disintegration. It maintains that the EU’s Bart Vanhercke, David Natali and Denis Bouget renewed focus on long-term unemployment is biased towards a ‘jobs first’ approach, contributing to the EU’s Janus-faced approach to the social dimension. It demonstrates Social policy in the European Union: state of play 2016 of play state Union: policy in the European Social and Denis Bouget David Natali by Bart Vanhercke, Edited that the austerity dogma has led to an erosion of social rights and makes a plea in favour of going ‘back to basics’ with regard to worker’s protection. Reflection and down-to-earth debate on the long-term integration of both EU migrants and refugees is required. The political reality of 2015 demonstrates that the EU project has been too narrowly focused on reciprocity, instead of solidarity. The harsh reality is that the European project can no longer be considered irreversible. The EU’s core values must therefore be reaffirmed with a view to creating a new common sense of purpose, including a more explicit commitment to equitable growth via a European Social Union. D/2016/10.574/40 ISBN: 978-2-87452-434-9 ............ Social policy in the European Union: state of play 2016 Social policy in the European Union: state of play 2016 Seventeenth annual report — Edited by Bart Vanhercke, David Natali and Denis Bouget European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) European Social Observatory (OSE) Quoting this publication: Vanhercke B., Natali D. and Bouget D. (eds.) (2016) Social policy in the European Union: state of play 2016, Brussels, European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) and European Social Observatory (OSE), 241 p. Brussels, 2016 © Publisher: ETUI aisbl, Brussels All rights reserved Print: ETUI Printshop, Brussels D/2016/10.574/40 ISBN: 978-2-87452-434-9 (print version) ISBN: 978-2-87452-435-6 (electronic version) Report commissioned from the European Social Observatory, asbl by the European Trade Union Institute and the European Trade Union Confederation. The ETUI receives financial support from the European Union. The European Union is not responsible for any use made of the information contained in this publication. Table of contents Preface ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 9 Sergio Fabbrini Chapter 1 Beyond disintegration: political and institutional prospects of the European Union ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 1. Intergovernmental economic governance ................................................................................................................. 15 2. The crisis of the EMU economic governance model .................................................................................. 18 3. What sort of differentiation to deal with centrifugal pressures? ........................................... 21 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 27 Sotiria Theodoropoulou Chapter 2 What solidarity in the Eurozone after the Greek crisis of 2015? ................................................ 33 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 33 1. Power asymmetries in decision making and the notion of inter-state solidarity in the Eurozone.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 34 2. Greece and the Eurozone on the brink: the 2015 surrender ....................................................... 40 3. Is there a future for solidarity in the Eurozone? ............................................................................................. 54 Anke Hassel and Bettina Wagner Chapter 3 The EU’s ‘migration crisis’: challenge, threat or opportunity? .......................................................... 61 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 61 1. The refugee crisis and EU asylum policy: the legal framework between Schengen and Dublin ................................................................................................................................................................................ 64 2. From a refugee ‘situation’ to a refugee ‘crisis’ in 2015 ................................................................................. 68 3. Refugees in the EU: origins, numbers and profile ......................................................................................... 71 4. Uncoordinated national responses ....................................................................................................................................... 75 5. EU internal migration: legal frameworks and controversies .......................................................... 76 Conclusion and policy recommendations ................................................................................................................................ 85 Social policy in the European Union: state of play 2016 5 Denis Bouget and Bart Vanhercke Chapter 4 Tackling long-term unemployment in Europe through a Council Recommendation? .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 93 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 93 1. Long-term unemployment in European countries ........................................................................................ 95 2. Employment and social policies in European countries ................................................................... 102 3. Towards a Council Recommendation ........................................................................................................................... 112 4. Critical appraisal of the Council Recommendation ................................................................................ 117 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 124 Annex: Definitions of unemployment indicators .................................................................................................... 130 Aída Ponce Del Castillo Chapter 5 Occupational safety and health in the EU: back to basics........................................................... 131 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 131 1. National initiatives: the early roots of occupational health and safety ................... 132 2. From national initiatives to a consolidated European approach: the Framework Directive and its daughter directives ......................................................................... 136 3. The European Commission’s 2014 Strategic Framework: importance and limitations ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 141 4. Recent developments: the year 2015 ........................................................................................................................
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