Applying the open method of co-ordination back home: the case of Greek pension policy

Abstract

The launch of the Lisbon Strategy (original and revised) and the introduction of the Open Method of Co-ordination (OMC) mark a new phase in the Europeanization of social policy, characterized by a non-binding form of collaboration between member states. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the Europeanization debate by analyzing and assessing the Greek response to the OMC in the field of pensions. This will be done by focusing on the elaboration of the National Strategy Reports (NSRs), the participation of Greek representatives in European Committees and the mutual learning of the potential process in an attempt to identify the interaction of the administrative system with different elements of the OMC process. The empirical evidence reveals its isolated character and its failure to stimulate a reflection on existing policies, which in turn is explained by Greece’s inability to come to terms with decentralized and participative processes.