Team 3 will continue to examine different methods through which political integration has been furthered with the help of economic instruments in the past and discuss the extent to which this may continue in the enlarged and enlarging EU. Particular emphasis is laid on linking economic policies and economic integration to political choices and to the overall shape and direction of European integration (Lisbon strategy, European economic governance etc.). The team will be further looking at the relationships between economic policies and basic political values, addressing questions about stability, growth, cohesion, the redistributive dimension and democracy in the enlarged European Union.

The core focus of the team’s efforts will be to finalise the paper on the scenarios for the future of Social Europe (D10b). The paper aims at examining the likely (and less likely) directions of change (and no change) in European social and employment as well as labour market policy. Emphasis will also be placed on the national welfare states that are only instrumentally discussed when social policy is debated. The team will examine drivers and obstacles to change and discuss a number of possible scenarios going forward for Social Europe.

During months 37-48 Team 3 will finalise the paper on scenarios for the future of Social Europe (D10b). It will, moreover, produce a new annual working paper on the economic dimension of EU integration on regional policy and cohesion. This paper will include a case study on the region of Epirus (Greece). The team will also prepare a final annual state of the art paper that concentrates on the following areas that had been subject to the seventh WP meeting in September 2008: (1) main concepts of the theoretical perspective related to EU deepening and widening with, after or besides the Lisbon Treaty, (2) periods of EU evolution in view of the disciplinary perspective, (3) trajectories and scenarios for EU deepening and widening based on the academic experiences and scientific expectations. Moreover, a policy paper by a young researcher will be prepared on European Employment policies and will be concluded in February 2009 (month 45). These papers will also be disseminated via ELIAMEP's website and relevant commentaries will also be included in ELIAMEP's blog section that is being launched (June 2008) in order to reach a wider audience. Finally, Team 3 will take part in the two meetings that will organised by Work Package II/III in months 40 and 45/46.