ABSTRACT
The European Union’s social policy by necessity is much less developed and comprehensive than that of individual member states and the two new Nordic members in particular. Social policy action in the early days of the European Community concentrated upon free movement of labour with some workplace health and safety initiatives. It was only with the introduction of the Single European Market (SEM) Programme that social policy took on a more central role within the European Community. The Social Charter and the related Social Action Programme and the Social Protocol of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) were developed to broaden the appeal of European integration and were primarily concerned with the protection of worker rights. However, following the reemergence of doubts about Europe’s competitiveness in the global economy and a surge in unemployment, the emphasis of EU social policy appears to have shifted from protection of rights to achieving the appropriate balance between job creation and boosting Europe’s competitive position.
