Myth or Reality? New Modes of Governance and Environmental Enlargement in Hungary, Poland and Romania

Buzogany, Aron, and Guttenbrunner, Sonja. (2007) Myth or Reality? New Modes of Governance and Environmental Enlargement in Hungary, Poland and Romania. In European Union Studies Association (EUSA) > Biennial Conference > 2007 (10th), May 17-19, 2007, pages 18, Montreal, Canada.

Abstract

This paper contrasts expectations derived from the theoretical literature on emergence of new modes of governance with empirical evidence, using data from empirical research on the adoption of and adaptation to EU environmental legislation during the EU accession process. The theoretical literature suggests that the huge costs implied by the compliance with EU directives and the weak state capacities available in the accession countries would encourage the emergence of new modes of governance. Empirical evidence from Hungary, Poland and Romania, however, shows that this is not the case. Institutional legacies, the simultaneity of transition and accession, and the time pressure to transfer the demanding EU regulations partially explain this observation. Most importantly, this paper finds that cooperation is most likely in those cases where at least a certain level of capacities is available to authorities, enabling them to remain in charge of the policy process.