Acta Universitatis Danubius. Œconomica, Vol 9, No 3 (2013)

Abstract

Economic integration in Europe knows different stages and degrees of integration, Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) being the penultimate stage which involves harmonizing fiscal and monetary policies. In this respect, in the desire to show the contribution to the increasing of economic integration in the European Union (EU), the article sets as the objectives, in tandem national-European, the identification of discrepancies of social indicators of EU countries in report to the targets of the Europe 2020 strategy. Thus, we used an approach based on a case study of EU countries, comparing the performance of social indicators in EU countries against European targets. The results showed that the Nordic countries are the closest to the social objectives of the Union, offering a good performance of these indicators. The prior work in the literature identifies many types of social models, from which the Nordic model is described as the one that provides the highest level of social welfare. Thus, the value of the study consists in clearly pointing out the qualities of the Nordic social model, arguing with figures and information why it may be more appropriate to its expanded implementation at the level of the European Union. As far as social policies of EU member states may be at least partially adapted to meet the performance of Nordic social model, the research can have several benefic implications, especially for policy makers.