European social policy: constructing a European Social Model and defending the European model of society?

European social policy: hard versus soft law Europe’s legal sources of authority included primary legislation, in the form of EEC/EC/EU treaties, and secondary legislation encompassing decisions, directives and regulations. These constituted hard law instruments in the sense that they were binding upon member states, which were obliged to implement them. By contrast, the soft law instruments of opinions, recommendations and Resolutions were advisory, while communications and memoranda were used to set out initial thoughts.