The final months of 2011 saw a strengthening in European coordination of economic and budgetary policy. Austerity still seems to be Europe’s main aim. Given their impact on the social dimension of the Eu and the lives of its citizens, much of this edition of «Observatory Europa» will be on this subject, with analyses of the more specifically social topics: unemployment is obviously a central theme, on a par with industrial reorganization, assistance to the more vulnerable members of society, and the provision of services of general economic interest. This number will also look at the current state of the implementation of community law in Italy: unfortunately, Italy still seems to be at the bottom of the class.