Title: EU – shield or booster in the globalisation process?

Authors: Anne Karrass

Addresses: Postgraduate Programme 'The Future of the European Social Model', University of Gottingen, Humboldtallee 3, 37083 Gottingen, Germany

Abstract: All too often, ascriptions to the EU as being |neoliberal| or |interventionist| have been made from both sides of the political and academic sphere. However, the evidence to prove these assessments are mostly only implied. This paper takes a closer look, based on textual evidence and using the Lisbon Strategy as an example. It analyses whether the European Union – via guidelines and recommendations of the European Council and the Council of Ministers – restricts or enhances the member states| capabilities to act (focus on the expenditure side) in the wake of globalisation and, additionally, whether these measures correspond to the role of the state – interventionist versus liberal – propagated in the documents.

Keywords: European integration; globalisation; expenditure policy; Lisbon Strategy; European Union; EU; neoliberalism; interventionism; public policy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPP.2008.017126

International Journal of Public Policy, 2008 Vol.3 No.1/2, pp.58 - 71

Published online: 15 Feb 2008 *

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