Open method of coordination. An analysis of it’s meaning for the development of a social Europe

Since the Lisbon Strategy in 2000 introduced the Open Method of Coordination (OMC) as a general EU integration instrument, it became an important instrument in the field of social policy. Being labelled as soft law, this development raises questions about its meaning for the development of a social Europe. Questions that are addressed in this thesis include: What is its position in the legal order of EU integration instruments? What does it mean that the OMC is soft law? Which legal integration dynamics are involved with the OMC? How does the OMC interact with the other integration instruments involved with EU social policy? By the use of several analytical frameworks, the introduction of a new coding method and an analysis based on the theory of hybrid structures, these questions have been examined in this thesis. The overall conclusion is that based on a legal perspective, the OMC has the potential to make a mea ningful contribution to the further development of a social Europe.