Hierarchy, networks, or markets: how does the EU shape environmental policy adoptions within and beyond its borders?

Abstract

In this study we scrutinize the strength of the European Union's ‘external governance’ in the area of environmental policy. We explore whether accession candidates and third countries adopted European environmental legislation along with the member states. In doing so, we focus on Community laws that limit nitrogen oxides in the emissions into the air from large combustion plants, and introduce the European ecolabel scheme and environmental impact assessments. Our analysis reveals that hierarchical governance is the most significant and robust determinant of policy adoption. Additionally, our results lend some support to the relevance of network governance, indicating that this mode could become more effective at greater length.

Keywords:

• Environmental regulations
• European Union
• external governance
• rule adoption
• survival analysis
• third countries

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

For support with data collection and helpful comments on earlier versions of this paper, we are particularly grateful to Daniela Behr, Elina Brutschin, Per-Olof Busch, Thomas Däubler, Marc Debus, Mariami Parsadanishvili, Kai Schulze and Zacharias Ziegelhöfer as well as the participants of the Lucerne Workshop on ‘External Governance’ held in September 2008.

Notes

For 21 countries, the data are taken from the dataset of the ENVIPOLCON project (cf. Holzinger et al. 2008a). The project's dataset can be downloaded at: http://www.uni-konstanz.de/FuF/Verwiss/knill/projekte/envipolcon/project-homepage.php

Luxembourg has been omitted owing to lack of data.

The bilateral agreements II signed in 2004 include environmental issues.

Divided by 1,000 for a more straightforward interpretation.

Divided by 100,000,000 for a more straightforward interpretation.

The results are not reported here, but are available on request.

We performed tests based on re-estimation, Schoenfeld residuals as well as graphical methods (Cleves et al. 2008: 197–206).

The results are not reported here, but are available on request.