In European social policy, especially with regards to different demographical and economic challenges, the diversity of the social policy has been increased in due course, and the social realm of the Europe has become more hybrid than ever. Especially through the enlargements, diverse levels of socioeconomic development among EU member states shows that the social dimension constitutes one of the most difficult aspects of European integration and EU is characterized by a relative absence of a centralized common social protection and policy framework. This diversity mainly derived from the historical backgrounds of the member states. However despite having varied welfare structures, after the 1980s social problems have became more halting and they alarmed for EU level response. Rising neoliberal ideology and globalisation of the economy not only paralysed the national social policies but also paved the way for new social dilemmas. In order to overcome this stalemate, apart from regulatory and substantive methods, EU institutions have taken the initiative and fostered a new system called Open Method of Coordination (OMC). This new mode of governance, along with its intergovernmental nature, shifted European social policy from deepening to widening by using softer policy measures, such as guidelines. Over time, European integration enforced more flexibility in European social decision-making and new practices have been implemented. OMC with its neo-voluntarism and deliberative structure gives an opportunity to obtain a balance between the degrees of economic and social integrity in the EU. This new system also has been welcomed by the member states as it has a feature of feasible balance between the need to respect the diversity of member states’ welfare structures. This inquiry intended to figure out in what context do national social policies integrate in EU level and what are the essential reasons behind the need to use this new method.
