Post SEA (1987) - Community Charter (1989) push to have a single market: the consequences need to formulate the ‘social dimension’ and give the idea of a ‘people’s Europe’ some substance; (i) The Community Charter of the Fundamental Social Rights of Workers (ii) The Associated Action Programme (iii) Proposed Community legislation

1989 Social action programme accompanied the Social Charter represented the high water mark of Community’s social policy to date a plethora of new employment Directives -working time - European works Councils - ‘atypical’ work - pregnant workers these legislative proposals, often controversial aimed at underpinning a set of workers’ rights

Tensions within social policy-making process a ‘polity-creating’ process going on, as new forums created and new actors induced to participate in Euro-level process LOBBY Groups, e.g. –EP’s Standing Committee on Women’s Rights –European Women’s Lobby, 1991 grouped together NGO’s to co-ordinate women’s interest tensions –regulation vs. de-regulation –keep a balance between 3 principles of Cs. initiatives, subsidiarity, diversity of national systems, cutlures and practices and preserve competitiveness

Post Amsterdam Treaty: 1997 Agreement on Social Policy is now incorporated into the main body of the consolidated Treaty Article 13 – this enables action to be taken ‘to combat discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation Title XI: social policy, education, vocational training and youth Title IV (arts ), covers visas, asylum, immigration… relevant to social dimension as they impact on the living conditions of residents in members states and on questions of racial equality

Post Amsterdam Treaty: 1997 Title VIII, Articles 125 – 30, employment: sets out objectives and responsibilities of member states, calls for co-operation and co-ordinated action

Social dimension: moved up the agenda! Santer: ‘there can be no social proess without economic progress; but conversely, economic wealth cannot be built in a social desert