New Governance in European Social Policy: The Open Method of Coordination (Palgrave Studies in European Union Politics)

Is the Open Method of Coordination (OMC) an effective and legitimate tool in European social policy-making? Milena B??chs analyses the goals and instruments of the OMC, discusses approaches which theorize its functioning, examines its policy content and develops a framework for its evaluation. Through the examination of a case study the author demonstrates how policy actors apply the OMC in employment in Germany and the United Kingdom. The book concludes that the OMC pursues contradictory goals and is unlikely to achieve them simultaneously. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 List of Boxes, Figures and Tables......Page 10 List of Abbreviations......Page 11 Acknowledgements......Page 13 1 Introduction: New Governance and the Dilemma of European Union Social Policy......Page 16 The OMC's governance character......Page 18 The OMC as a response to the dilemma of European social policy......Page 21 Organization of the book......Page 28 Part I: The Open Method of Coordination......Page 32 2 Conceptualizing the OMC......Page 34 'Influence' in OMC research......Page 35 Theorizing the OMC's influence and effectiveness......Page 37 'Invited dutifulness'......Page 41 Defining the OMC agenda......Page 42 Typology of responses......Page 46 Framework for analysing member state responses......Page 48 3 The 'Third Way' in European Social Policy......Page 54 The 'third way'......Page 55 The 'European Social Model'......Page 57 The policy content of the Open Methods of Coordination......Page 59 Part II: Member State Responses......Page 72 'Goodness of fit'......Page 74 Political system and actor constellations......Page 79 Social partners and NGOs......Page 80 NAP production......Page 82 Relationship to the EU......Page 84 Labour market policy development in Germany and the UK......Page 87 Responses to the EES......Page 94 Explaining variation......Page 104 Part III: Evaluation......Page 110 Evaluation framework......Page 112 The OMC's effectiveness......Page 115 7 Legitimacy......Page 145 Democratic quality of OMC processes......Page 146 Legitimacy of the OMC......Page 155 Social Europe and the OMC......Page 167 'Invited dutifulness' and its problems......Page 170 Reforming the OMC?......Page 172 List of interviews......Page 176 Overview: Policy actors' positions and ways in which they refer to the EES......Page 178 Notes......Page 183 References......Page 192 E......Page 215 G......Page 216 L......Page 217 O......Page 218 S......Page 219 V......Page 220 Z......Page 221 The European Union Is Widely Regarded As Premised On An Imbalance Between Market-making And Market-correcting Provisions, Potentially Weakening National Welfare Systems And The Political Legitimacy Of The European Project. However, A Stronger Role For The Eu In Social Policy Faces Considerable Difficulties. The Open Method Of Coordination (omc) Represents A New Governance Approach To European Social Policy And Was Adopted In The Late 1990s. It Seeks To Provide A 'middle-way' Solution To The Dilemma Of European Social Policy In Which The Eu Adopts A Stronger Role In Coordinating Member States' Social Policies While Member States Formally Retain Their Authority In Social Policy. New Governance In European Social Policy Explores The Effectiveness And Legitimacy Of A New Policy Tool In European Social Policy, The Open Method Of Coordination (omc). It Analyses The Tensions Within The Omc's Goals And Instruments, Develops An Explanation Of Its Functioning And Applies A Multifaceted Framework For Its Evaluation. Introduction : New Governance And The Dilemma Of European Union Social Policy -- Conceptualizing The Omc -- The 'third Way' In European Social Policy -- Institutions And Actors -- The European Employment Strategy In Germany And The United Kingdom -- Effectiveness -- Legitimacy -- Conclusion. Milena Büchs. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 177-199) And Index. Buchs analyses the goals and instruments of the Open Method of Coordination, discusses approaches which theorize its functioning, examines its policy content and develops a framework for its evaluation. Through the examination of a case study the author demonstrates how policy actors apply the OMC in employment in Germany and the United Kingdom. The European Union is widely regarded as premised on an imbalance between market-making and market-correcting provisions, potentially weakening national welfare systems and the political legitimacy of the European project. However, a stronger role for the EU in social policy faces considerable difficulties. The Open Method of Coordination (OMC) represents a new governance approach to European social policy and was adopted in the late 1990s. It seeks to provide a 'middle-way' solution to the dilemma of European social policy in which the EU adopts a stronger role in coordinating member states' social policies while member states formally retain their authority in social policy. New Governance in European Social Policy explores the effectiveness and legitimacy of a new policy tool in European social policy, the Open Method of Coordination (OMC). It analyses the tensions within the OMC's goals and instruments, develops an explanation of its functioning and applies a multifaceted framework for its evaluation Is the Open Method of Coordination (Om) an effective and legitimate tool in European social policy-making? Milena Buchs analyses the goals and instruments of the OMC, discusses approaches which theorize its functioning, examines its policy content and develops a framework for its evaluation. Through the examination of a case study the author demonstrates how policy actors apply the OMC in employment in Germany and the United Kingdom Büchs analyses the goals and instruments of the Open Method of Coordination, discusses approaches which theorize its functioning, examines its policy content and develops a framework for its evaluation. Through the examination of a case study the author demonstrates how policy actors apply the OMC in employment in Germany and the United Kingdom. The author analyses the goals and instruments of the Open Method of Coordination (OMC), discusses approaches which theorise its functioning, examines its policy content and develops a framework for its evaluation