The Welfare State in Europe: Visions for Reform. Vision Europe Summit. Bertelsmann Studies

In all the countries of the European Union, the welfare state has come under intense scrutiny as a result of budgetary pressures and wider societal developments. The Vision Europe initiative has chosen to focus this year on the future of the welfare state, and aims to develop innovative policy recommendations on how to ensure the long-term sustainability of national welfare systems in Europe. This introductory paper is designed to set the scene for the challenges currently facing the welfare state in Europe. Specific facets of welfare state policy are being reviewed in more detail in three project working groups. All these issues will be examined in the first Vision Europe Summit, which is due to take place in Berlin on 17–18 November 2015