The Open Method of Coordination on Pensions: Does it De-politicise Pensions Policy?

Through the Open Method of Coordination (OMC) the EU has extended its role on pensions (that is a typical redistributive and nationally-rooted policy) while respecting national competencies and diversity. Such a governing mode is a hybrid: while OMC goes in many respects ‘beyond’ regulation, regulatory instruments are integrated in it. By shedding light on the normative and theoretical complexity of the OMC on pensions, the article analyses the conflicts of interest in the process and the main strategies for their management. The present study shows that three conflict dimensions (institutional, competence-based and ideological) are managed through two strategies: ‘participation control’ tends to structure the access to the process; ‘common knowledge production’ through reasoning and discursive decision-making tends to emphasise the role of experts. The eclectic use of both strategies confirms the hybrid nature of the OMC and the permanent tension between its supposed post-regulatory nature and the progressive specialisation and control of information that tend to exclude stakeholders and the large audience the process should mobilise.