The Open Method of Coordination

The EU response to the 2008 economic crisis, which has exposed the weaknesses of the EU economic governance of the time, has resulted in a debate on how to find a balance between intergovernmentalism and supranational actions within the EU framework, bringing into question further use of soft intergovernmental methods, such as the Open Method of Coordination (OMC).

In addition to that, with social and education issues increasingly gaining attention in the EU, OMC, one of the governance instruments available for addressing such issues, has again found itself the focus of attention of policy-makers.

The European Parliament has also addressed the topic, criticising the method and advising how to improve it, but also being open to using it in some policy areas on condition that it is improved. However, there are policy areas in which the Parliament has discouraged the use of OMC. MEPs also occasionally express concern in written questions to the European Commission about developments in those policy areas where OMC does apply.

Wikipedia: Open Method of Coordination http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Method_of_Coordination

EUROPA: Summaries of EU legislation: Glossary: OMC http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/glossary/open_method_coordination_en.htm

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