Quelques réflexions sur un modèle social européen

Abstract

L’auteur livre quelques réflexions personnelles sur la spécificité de la réponse européenne à la question sociale telle qu’elle se pose aujourd’hui. Davantage qu’une émanation de la politique de l’Union européenne, il voit dans le modèle social européen un patrimoine commun aux peuples de l’Europe en matière d’emploi et de travail. Ce concept traduit une triple réalité : une régulation sociale fondée sur la concertation ; un régime élaboré de protection sociale et l’existence de services publics à finalité sociale, ainsi qu’un interventionnisme actif de l’État en matières industrielle, économique et sociale. Si ce modèle doit faire face à des critiques et à des difficultés, l’évolution semble davantage aller dans le sens de son adaptation que dans celui de sa disparition.What is meant by the European social model? Is it a specifically European way of viewing and addressing social questions or, rather, a set of common institutions and practices established at the European Union level? The author is of the opinion that it is still the former.Admittedly, a European “social dimension” already exists, and it would be wrong to down play its importance. A Community social policy has been built up on treaties as well as on the instruments derived from them: free movement of workers and persons in general; social security for migrant workers and European citizens travelling in the European Union; promotion of equality of opportunities and treatment; emergence of minimum social standards, or even standards leading to harmonization pure and simple (for example, on occupational safety and health); and the setting up of social dialogue with European collective agreements and European Works Councils.In the final analysis, however, this specifically European form of protection remains limited. Firstly, some directives such as that on European Works Councils are essentially concerned with the supranational level. Furthermore, other European instruments may embody not very exacting standards which may well, for political if not legal reasons, end up amending and weakening national rules and regulations at one time more favourable to workers. Then there are the limits placed on the European Union’s scope of action as well as its political and economic strategies.The author considers that the European social concept reflects three historical realities. The first is that of social regulation based on centralized consultation and dialogue, which may be bipartite or tripartite. Whatever the number of parties involved, State institutions are never indifferent to the outcome of the negotiations in which the social actors have participated. While it is true that tripartite agreements and other forms of high-level social pacts have been, and are, observed in other regions of the world, no other region has resorted as much to dialogue, be it formal or informal, at the central level.The second reality is an elaborate social security system including, where appropriate, provision of a minimum guaranteed income and other forms of labour prote...

The European Social Model: an exercise in deconstruction

“…Under this heading, definitions range from quite vague to rather detailed and they tend, by and large, to suggest a normative approach. The ESM is often referred to as enshrining 'common views and principles on different social issues and their importance within the EC construction' (Servais, 2001;VaughanWhitehead, 2003: 4). It is described as a specific common European aim geared to the achievement of full employment, adequate social protection, and equality.…”