PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

Based on the country chapters in the present volume, this contribution has two objectives: First, it gives a structured overview on the diversity of policy responses that have been adopted since 2007 in European Welfare Systems (EWS). Thereby, we cover the policy areas of labour market, pensions, health, long-term care, family policy and social assistance. Second, on this basis, the chapter identifies three major tendencies of change: To begin with, retrenchment of universal risk prevention turns out to be an important driver of reform during the crisis, but also activation policies and extended choices are getting increasingly important. In addition, we identify a growing number or extensity of measures that are targeted towards special (vulnerable) groups.