ABSTRACT
The question appearing in the title of this chapter can, and should, be analyzed at two different levels. At the positive level, the problem is to determine the range of options open to the European Union, given the constraints set by the available resources and by the political will of the member states. At the normative level, putting feasibility issues aside, we must examine the desirability of a European social policy modelled along the lines of the historical evolution of national policies. Since our conclusion is that a European welfare state, now or in the foreseeable future, is neither possible nor desirable, we must also face a third question concerning the role which the Union can/should play in the social field.
