“The vague character of the debate is influenced by the lack of a clear definition of the term the ‘EU social model’ itself.”

Absolutely. Too often I encounter absurd exhortations, like: “Personally, I’m totally opposed to globalisation because of the threat to workers’ rights in the European Social model. . . ” And in case you think I exaggerate, dear reader, try this:

“In an interview with The Times, Mr Simpson [General Secretary of Amicus, one of the UK's leading trade unions] said that free trade must be curbed to prevent job losses and the erosion of workers’ standards. . . ”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1776256,00.html

So much for this: “An embryonic Asian regional bloc could develop by 2020 into a ‘free trade area’ stretching from India to New Zealand, according to the Australian government. . . ” and, “Separately, Peter Mandelson, EU trade commissioner, said yesterday the EU was prepared to cut import tariffs on its highly protected farm sector if the US reformed its agricultural subsidies.”
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/44245a20-24bd-11da-a5d0-00000e2511c8.html

Nostalgia, it seems, is every bit as good as it used to be. However, hope looms, as the EUObserver report continues:

“Experts argue that there are several models rather than a single volume of labour market and social policies, and they often play down the forthcoming debate and its potential outcomes. The three main types they point to – Anglo-Saxon (UK and some new EU member states), continental (Germany, France) and Nordic (the Scandinavian states) – it is the latter that has received the greatest recognition by both analysts and the union’s officials. . . ”

But a moment to reflect: it wasn’t that long ago when the Poulder model of the Netherlands was widely upheld in the EU as the exemplar for restoring “competitiveness” - not least because it had been so remarkably successful during the 1980s in containing the increase in average real earnings in the Netherlands to less than 1 per cent a year:
http://crookedtimber.org/2004/02/02/after-after-the-new-economy/