European Union social policy and flexible production

Briefly reviews the Social Protocol attached to the Maastricht Treaty. Addresses the debate between those advocating the minimal harmonization of labour legislation necessary for the establishment of fair competition within the single market, on the one side, and those arguing for a more interventionist approach to avoid the consequences of social dumping, on the other. Then examines the implications for this debate of the rise of flexible production, with its demand for increased human capital investment and long‐term employment relationships.