The theme of the institutional architecture of the European social model brings together a number of issues of central importance to the twenty-seven Member States of the European Union and the three associated states of the European Economic Area, of immediate concern to the candidate countries seeking membership of the EU, but also potentially of interest to the rest of the world. The interest for others, not least the USA, arises because of the clear contrast the American experience presents when compared with the European social model, and in particular, its institutional architecture. Its importance for the rest of the world arises precisely because, while there may be no or little military competition in a uni-polar world dominated by the USA, the economic and political stature of the EU makes the European economic and social model the subject of considerable attention elsewhere. It is not suggested that the institutional architecture of the European social model can or should be exported, but certain of its features provide a basis for reflection, if not emulation in other parts of the world.

This chapter begins with some reflections on the ‘constitutional moment’ in the EU and its implications for the European social model, explores certain structural qualities of the European social model, in contrast with American experience and outlines the principal features of the emerging institutional architecture of the European social model.