Given the mounting importance of self-employment on the political and policy agenda on a national and EU level, this article sheds light on the under- researched area of social protection for these workers. It focuses on their statutory access to social protection schemes in 35 European countries. We classify social protection systems into three categories based on the access they provide to insurance-based schemes for the self-employed. Crucially, we discuss the link between statutory access to social protection for these workers and typologies of welfare regimes and show that it tends to follow the main institutional patterns of these.

The history of the social welfare systems in Europe in the postwar period appears as autonomous national processes because the construction of Europe which imposed common rules in many areas was equally consistent with the national development of social welfare systems, within each national culture. However, the idea of a common system of social protection has always remained linked to political and economic European construction which would create a more cohesive society. Many studies have analysed the trend of specific social policies and their convergence or divergence in Europe. Therefore, global convergence is often conceived as resulting from the domestic dynamics of each social risk. The paper focuses on one specific topic: the quantitative evaluation of convergence among the EU and OECD countries at the macroeconomic level. In the first part we explain the construction of social indicators which can assess the convergence or divergence of social expenditure in EU and OECD countries. In the second part we show many methodological problems and difficulties of interpretation of the social indicators. Then we see that the analysis of national trajectories of social expenditure and the link with economic development can enrich the analysis of convergence in social protection. Finally, the empirical analysis supports the idea of "adjustment" reforms rather than radical changes in a transitional period.

This article explores the implications of internationalization for national government-NGO and national-NGO and international NGO relations, and NGO policy influence at national and international levels. Internationalization is defined as supranational problem solving. Following a brief overview of national and international issues of government-NGO relations, the article describes European Union (EU)-NGO interactions. A case illustration on the EU's policy directives on equal treatment and anti-discrimination highlights a mutually supportive relationship between national and international NGO coalitions and their respective lobbying efforts at national and international levels. The case reveals how supranational governing bodies can play a role in galvanizing NGO activities and movements potentially contributing to cost-effective, technically informed, and publicly supported policy initiatives. It further demonstrates how NGOs can create parallel federation structures to support policy influence at multiple levels.

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The Juppé Plan, enacted on 15 November 1995, is the most important reform of the French social protection system (SWS) since its creation in October 1945. First, we describe the French system which is inspired by the Bismarckian model, a work-based model, and its long-term trends in terms of benefits and contributions.Second, we describe the decisions made as part of the Juppé Plan, and their gradual implementation under the Juppé and Jospan governments: more planned care provision in the health-care sector; a set of family policies geared more to those most in need; the introduction of private pensions in a new funded scheme; and above all the introduction of new, more universal mechanisms of funding social security. A project on social cohesion (fight against social exclusion) has also been added to the plan.Third, we analyse the three main consequences of the Juppé Plan: the end of the doctrinal unity of the French system; the economic and financing uncertainties surrounding the implementation of the reforms ; and the political confusion which largely explains why the new left-wing Jospin government can carry on with the implementation of the reform . Resum6Le plan Juppé présenté le 1 S Novembre 1995 au Parlement, est la riforme la plus importante du système franvais de protection sociale depuis sa creation (Octobre 1945). Nous commenvons par une brève prgsentation du système franvais qui s'inspire du modèle Bismarkien fondi sur les droits sociaux du travailleur, et une présentation de l'evolutaon long terme des dipenses et moyens de financement. Ensuite nous dgcrivons les principes et les mesures dgcidis par le premier ministre A. Juppé et leur mise en œuvre sous les governements Juppé et Jospin: secteur hospitalier et mgdical plus planifié, politique familiale Orientée vers les m6nages les plus disfavorisés, mécanismes de sécurtté sociale plus universels. Le plan a 6t6 complete par un projet sur la cohesion sociale.Ceci permet enfin d'analyser trois grandes consgquences de la réforme, la fin de l'unite doctrinale du système fran~ais, les incertitudes gconomiques et financieres de la réforme, et la confusion politique des décistons de A. Juppé qui explique largement que le nouveau governement Jospin puisse contmuer la mise en œuvre de la r6forme.