Summary:

This article deals with the emergence of the European employment policy. Less than six years after the Treaty of Maastricht was signed (December 1991) ? opening Europe's way to monetary union ? an employment chapter was added to the Treaty (June 1997). Viewed from the conclusions of Maastricht this was quite surprising. On the basis of detailed empirical sources we consider this development as a main 'con¬stitutional' choice in the EU. Such choices are normally either explained within a Neo-Functionalist framework or a Intergovernmental framework for European integration. We argue, however, that neither framework is appropriate for understanding the emergence of the employment chapter. We finally consider whether the ?advocacy coalition? in favour of the European social policy concerns a ?deviant case? or reflects a new phase in the European integration process.