Conference Paper

Due to the fact that multiple ideologies and different social models exist in the world today, with different consequences, it appears crucial for the EU to develop and sustain its model of economic and social regulation. This paper focuses on the way the European Union develops its social model in the forthcoming decades. Different models in EU member states mean that it is not possible to have a unique model so the paper will look at what the general approach should be. This work is divided into the following sections; the first section contains the theoretical approach to the social model and defines it; the second part is devoted to the European current social politics and the way the EU has been working in the field of social politics; and the third part looks more closely at the changes going on in the EU, focusing on the problem of globalization and new trends, especially into the way families and intimate relations are changing. This is important because individuals, lifestyle and the changing nature of the family are crucial for social politics. The fourth part is devoted to the new trends and expectations, especially after the Lisbon Agenda and economic crises, and to finding out the possible consequences they can have for the social model of the EU. A theoretical approach is combined with the available data so the full notion of the problem can be presented.