Wie sozial ist die europäische Sozialpolitik?

During the course of European integration social policy has become a more and more important policy area of the European Union. The paper analyses whether the EU’s social- policy measures improve the living conditions of the socially weaker people. All three areas of European social policy are analysed: the coordination of the member states’ social-security systems, the harmonization of the working conditions and the promotion of equal opportunities, social integration and vocational training. The paper shows that the EU’s social-policy measures have numerous disadvantages. In particular, they often are prejudicial to the very people who the EU intends to protect and promote.