Can European Socio-Economic Governance be Social Investment Proof?

The past years EU socio-economic governance has changed considerably. The creation of the European Semester has furthered integrated socio-economic policy coordination, and stricter economic governance has aimed to improve compliance with debt and deficit rules. What room does the new governance architecture give to Social Investment (SI)? On the one hand long-term goals and Treaty norms support stock, buffer and flow functions of SI. On the other hand, the focus on public finances in the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) limits options for investing in societies. The chapter shows that the flexibility within EU socio-economic governance does not restrict SI necessarily. It is the member state, however, that has an important role in promoting and developing SI. Good national practices may then feed into the coordination process and challenge ideas on how to improve the EU's social and economic state.Full text link: http://bit.do/eQ7wo