The financial and economic crisis led to persistently high unemployment and deteriorated poverty and social exclusion in Europe. The adequacy and sustainability of social protection in many member states is at risk，which makes it necessary to reform the European social policy. The European Union has created lots of policy tools and financial instruments，including the “European Semester”，the “open method of coordination” and the European social funds，to guide and coordinate the social policy reforms in the member states. The “Social Investment Package for Growth and Cohesion” delivered by the European Commission in 2013 sets out a policy framework to modernize the social security system in Europe.