ABSTRACT
The breakdown of the East-European socio-political systems and the reunification of Germany, with their associated conflicts and break-ups, have given the European Union considerable integrational tasks to fulfil. Changes in labour relations, particularly in the European core states and in the central and East-European countries, will be affected by the handling of the social question at EU-level. The European Union is subject to a diverse range of restrictions in the social field. In the context of the European Union, the term “Social Dimension” has been widely used in connection with the passing of the Single European Act in February 1986, in relation to the realisation of the Single Market project. The Agreement on Social Policy as an appendix to the EU-Treaty and the procedures lay down therein, for example the social dialogue represented a development of the social dimension at the EU-level.
