Publication

The social dimension of the internal market has been a theme for debate ever since 1987, when Jacques Delors introduced it as a counterbalance to the emerging 'Europhoria' of European business about the EC-1992 single market programme. Although the complaints about the lack of a 'Social Europe' make it into the local and European press much more easily than a sober analysis of the actual meaning of the label and the factual progress made, this CEPS Commentary encourages the reader to step back for a moment and reflect on what 'the' social dimension of the single market does and does not mean and to assess where we stand today.