Socio-politically relevant effects of the four basic freedoms of the inner-European market on the labour market

Abstract

"Will the creation of a United Europe bring the long-hoped-for employment miracle, or will this process simply mean even more unemployment? Answering this question does not only seem to depend on one's political point of view but also on the point of time, and thus the spirit of the times. While at the end of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s (that is, in times when the economy was flourishing) euphoria was prevalent because of the realisation of the internal market programme, today on the other hand it is rather pessimism that is dominant (with overall insecure economic perspectives) in the run-up to the economic and monetary union. However, seen realistically, both assessments are exaggerations, as this article intends to demonstrate. <br> The article begins with an analysis of the indirect integration effects on the labour market (e.g., by means of the internal market programme or through the creation of the planned economic and currency union). As the effects of European Integration will at least alone not lead to a sustainable reduction in the massive employment problems in Western Europe, the focus will then be on the employment policy initiatives of the Commission of the European Union. European integration will speed up structural change in the economies of the Union. And here the question arises as to how far a requirement for socio-political flanking measures will arise. For this reason, the possible creation of a 'European Social Union' is addressed in this article. Finally, the direct results of European integration in the area of labour migration must not be overlooked in this connection. They will allow an assessment to be made of whether a 'European labour market' is only an illusion or can be seen as a realistic vision." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku)

Cite article

Walwei, U. (1997): Sozialpolitisch relevante Auswirkungen der vier Grundfreiheiten des europäischen Binnenmarktes auf den Arbeitsmarkt. In: W. Schmähl & H. Rische (Hrsg.) (1997): Europäische Sozialpolitik, p. 129-160.