The debate over the completion of the single European market is increasingly centering on its so-called social dimension. Does it make sense to streamline social security in the member states as a safety net against the adverse consequences of the single market?

On January 1, 1981 the southward extension of the EC starts with the accession of Greece. Spain and Portugal are to follow suit in the near future. The consequences in the industrial sphere will be less spectacular than those in agriculture but still of considerable importance for the process of...