This contribution analyses how EU social objectives and policy co-ordination have been integrated into the Union's post-crisis governance architecture. It argues that between 2011 and 2016, there was a partial but progressive 'socialization' of the 'European Semester' of policy co-ordination, in terms of increasing emphasis on social objectives in its priorities and key messages, including the Country-Specific Recommendations; intensified social monitoring and review of national reforms; and an enhanced decision-making role for EU social and employment actors. In explaining these developments, the contribution highlights the contribution of strategic agency, reflexive learning and creative adaptation by social and employment actors to the new institutional conditions of the Semester, building on recent theoretical work on 'actor-centred constructivism' and the 'usages of Europe'.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Given the mounting importance of self-employment on the political and policy agenda on a national and EU level, this article sheds light on the under- researched area of social protection for these workers. It focuses on their statutory access to social protection schemes in 35 European countries. We classify social protection systems into three categories based on the access they provide to insurance-based schemes for the self-employed. Crucially, we discuss the link between statutory access to social protection for these workers and typologies of welfare regimes and show that it tends to follow the main institutional patterns of these.