The open method of coordination and the Lisbon strategy: the difficult road from potential to results

Abstract

Who, in the early 1990s, would have thought that by the end of the decade there would be such enthusiasm for European-level cooperation between the Member States in the social and employment policy fields? The change was brought about thanks to the introduction of the open method of coordination (OMC) and the political priorities defined by the Lisbon strategy. The OMC is currently applied in about ten economic and social policy fields, though its operation varies tremendously from one to another. A great deal of academic research has been devoted to the subject, leading to by and large similar findings: while it is a relatively straightforward matter to describe the way the various OMCs operate and to identify their potential, it is far more difficult to measure their actual effects on actors and on the content of national policies. This is essentially due to the cumulative impact of this mode of governance and the essentially cognitive nature of its effects, which makes proving causalities a highly delicate enterprise. This article sets out, on the basis of the studies available, to draw up an inventory of the findings and the arguments supplied by authors, some of whom see the OMC as a promising means of giving new impetus to social progress, while others express quite considerable reservations.