Konstitutioneller Minimalismus: die EU-Sozialpolitik in den Vertragsreformen von Nizza bis Lissabon.

The article analyses the development and results of the treaty reforms concerning European social policy from Nice to Lisbon. Based on an overview of the development of the treaty base and the substantial results of European governance in the field of labour and social policy the author concludes that while the Lisbon Treaty specifies and enhances the normative importance of social policy, the allocation of competencies and the decision-making rules remain substantially the same. This finding of a constitutional minimalism leads to the following questions: Does the enlarged European Union suffer from a 'levels-of-competencies trap' and if yes, why? Which solutions and alternatives might determine future European social policy with regard to the emerging limits for a European social union? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]