Alternative approaches to governance in the EU: EU social policy and the European employment strategy

Recent actions by the European Union reveal a shift away from traditional, top-down, command and control governance. This can be seen in the structure of traditional tools like directives, as many recent directives, especially in social policy-making, tend to be more open and flexible. But the move to more flexible and participatory approaches can best be seen in areas like the European Employment Strategy (EES), which departs radically from traditional regulatory governance approaches. This article explores the increased use of alternative approaches to governance in the EU by examining the EES as an example of this shift.