Social Policy in the European Union: state of play 2016

The 17th edition of Social Policy in the European Union: state of play has the ambition of providing accessible information on EU and domestic social policymaking; a more fine-grained analysis and interpretation of social policy in the EU through the contribution of leading scholars; and a forward-looking reflection on the future of the social dimension of the EU. 2015 has proved to be an extremely problematic year for the EU. In the volume we refer to the EU in terms of a number of existential crises that have proved hard to be addressed. Problems and challenges - from the asylum crisis to the persistent weakness of the economic recovery, from the continued austerity programmes implemented by many Member States have taken tensions in the EU to an unprecedented level. The main questions addressed by the book are the following: What is the scale of the crisis? Is there a risk of the EU disintegrating? What would be the best ways for the EU to address the many crises putting the whole EU at risk. In the 2016 edition of Social Policy in the European Union: state of play, the authors focus on the growing tensions in the EMU (exemplified by the persistent Greek crisis), and the more social crises about: migration, unemployment, the safeguard of fundamental social rights and health and safety at work. The volume analyses the possibility of a more differentiated integration process (in terms of multi-speed EU or ‘club of clubs’). As proved by the main facts of the year, the EU is increasingly at risk of disintegration and all the chapters of the volume provide a forward-looking reflection on the EU political context, describing both risks and opportunities for a new path for Europe. The EU – whatever its form and degree of integration – needs more trust and solidarity among its components.