Book Review: Normative Patterns and Legal Developments in the Social Dimension of the EU
| DOI | 10.1177/138826271401600307 |
| Date | 01 September 2014 |
| Author | Maria Carneiro |
| Published date | 01 September 2014 |
| Subject Matter | Book Review |
Book Reviews
282 Intersentia
REFERENCES
B, U, P, F and D, T (eds.) (2013) Internation al
Standard-Setting and Innovations in Social Security, Alphen aan den Rijn:
Kluwer Law International.
P, F (ed.) (2006) Between So an d Hard Law, e impact of International
Social Security Standards on National Social Security Law, Alphen aan den Rijn:
Kluwer Law International.
P, F (ed.) (2007) International Social Secur ity Standards. Current Views
and Interpretation Matters, Socia l Europe Series 14, Antwerp: Intersentia.
D, T (2011) International Social Security Standards in the European
Union. e Cases of the Czech Republic and Estonia, Intersentia: Antwerp:
Intersentia.
Ann Numhauser-Henning and Mia Ronnmar (eds.) Normative Patterns and Legal
Developments in the Social Dimension of the EU, Oxford: Hart Publishing, 2013,
269pp., ISBN 978–1-84946–435 –2 (hardcover)
is book analyses recent normative and legal developments within the social
dimension of the EU (with a focus on labour, social security and family law), in the
context of current societal a nd demographic challenges, the impact of the economic
and nancial crisis, and the expression of a social market economy, already existing
pre-, but strengthened post-Lisbon Treaty, which aims to balance economic and
social concerns. For those who a re familiar with the relevant t heory, the title alre ady
gives away the overall theoretical framework: the analysis is underpinned by Anna
Christensen’s theory of law as ‘normative patterns in a normative eld’ now featured
in the Norma Research Programme, which also informs this publication. On this
basis, the book explores legal developments and how they translate into normative
patterns; the discussions are legal in nature and provided by legal researchers. e
chapters are organised around three main patterns as developed by Christensen: the
market-functional pattern; the protection of established position pattern; and the
just distribution pattern. ese normative patterns are not hierarchically organised
and, as Kaarlo Tuori explains i n chapter 3, any tension between them is settled at the
political level.
Given the focus and intention of the book, an introduction to the general
underpinning theory of law as normative patterns in a normative eld very
appropriately sets the scene for what is to follow. Both direct ly, and by contrasting it
with other theories of law, the theory’s propositions and rami cations a re made clear
to the reader in the opening ch apters by Ann Numhauser-Henning and Kaarlo Tuori.
As initially explained by the editors, the subsequent contributions are not simply an
elaboration of that wider theory of law, but an engaging practical application of it.
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