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How can Europe 2020, the EU's new Strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, lead to a stronger Social EU with less poverty and greater social cohesion? This book by a number of eminent scholars and experts is the first to attempt to answer this question.
The adoption in June 2010 by EU leaders of a target to lift at least 20 million people out of the risk of poverty and exclusion by 2020 is an important step forward. However, delivering on this and the Union's four other mutually reinforcing targets, and achieving the EU's ambitious social objectives, raises many political and technical challenges. These are examined in depth in this book.
A key objective of the book is to take a critical look at and draw lessons from the past, 2000-2010 Lisbon Strategy. Another important objective is to explore the format and role of EU coordination and cooperation in the social field in the new EU governance framework, in a context marked by slow recovery after the global economic crisis. Finally, the book also makes proposals for the further reinforcement of this coordination and cooperation and for the improvement of the different instruments available at EU, national and sub-national levels.
The analysis and concrete proposals presented in the book will be invaluable to policy-makers, researchers and other stakeholders interested in contributing to building a more Social EU. They will help to encourage new ideas and innovative approaches.
List of contents
Contents: Laurette Onkelinx: Foreword - Hugh Frazer/Eric Marlier/David Natali/Rudi Van Dam/Bart Vanhercke: Europe 2020: Towards a More Social EU? - Maurizio Ferrera: Mapping the Components of Social EU: A Critical Analysis of the Current Institutional Patchwork - Roger Liddle/Patrick Diamond/Simon Latham/Tom Brodie: Aftershock: The Coming Social Crisis in the EU and What Is to Be Done - David Natali: The Lisbon Strategy, Europe 2020 and the Crisis in Between - Bart Vanhercke: Delivering the Goods for Europe 2020? The Social OMC's Adequacy and Impact Re-assessed - Mary Daly: Assessing the EU Approach to Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion in the Last Decade - Marjorie Jouen: A Territorialised Social Agenda to Guide Europe 2020 and the Future EU Cohesion Policy - Martin Kühnemund: Social Impact Assessment as a Tool for Mainstreaming Social Protection and Inclusion Concerns in Public Policy - Robert Walker: The Potential of Eurotargets: Reflecting on French Experience - Hugh Frazer/Eric Marlier: Strengthening Social Inclusion in the Europe 2020 Strategy by Learning from the Past - Jonathan Zeitlin: Towards a Stronger OMC in a More Social Europe 2020: A New Governance Architecture for EU Policy Coordination.
About the author
Eric Marlier is the International Scientific Coordinator of the CEPS/INSTEAD Research Institute, Luxembourg, and has written widely on comparative socio-economic analysis, social indicators and social policy monitoring.
David Natali is Associate Professor at the Roberto Ruffilli Faculty of Political Science in Forli (Italy) and Co-Director of the European Social Observatory (OSE, Belgium).
Rudi Van Dam is Coordinator Social Indicators at the Belgian Federal Public Service Social Security and Country Delegate to the Indicators Sub-Group of the EU Social Protection Committee.
Report
«In terms of advancing the debate and knowledge on the social dimension of the EU, the book provides an insightful analysis of past achievements and future challenges. Nonetheless it also moves a step forward by elaborating concrete policy recommendations. (T)he book provides a useful tool for policy-makers, researchers and other stakeholders with an interest in contributing to the building of a more social EU.» (Marina Angelaki, Social Cohesion and Development 6, 2011/1)
