Eu Policies in a Global Perspective: Shaping or Taking International Regimes? by Gerda Falkner & Patrick Müller

Author:Gerda Falkner & Patrick Müller [Falkner, Gerda & Müller, Patrick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Political Science, General
ISBN: 9781317963608
Google: rfklAgAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 18979515
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2013-11-20T00:00:00+00:00

4 Typical mechanisms of environmental policy export

Based on the empirical findings of the relevant literature, we give a brief account of the main mechanisms of horizontal and vertical policy export. Horizontal export plays an important role in the environmental field. We learn from the literature on environmental policy convergence that EU policies have been adopted by non-members to notable degrees. Holzinger et al. (2008) studied the adoption of 40 environmental policies from 1970 to 2000 in 24 countries. For 19 of these measures, an obligatory EU regulation had been introduced during the observation period. A closer look at the adoption pattern (Holzinger et al. 2008: 107) shows that most old EU members had already adoptedtento 15 policies in 1980, and had come close to 40 policies by 2000. Non-EU environmental pioneers showed similar numbers until 1980, but then split in their development. The EFTA countries joining the EU quickly caught up with the old members, whereas non-EU members lagged behind. However, the US, Mexico, Norway and Switzerland also adopted at least some of the EU policies.

In terms of policy export, we find active horizontal export by conditionality. EU accession candidates of the Southern enlargement show some increase in the adoption of EU environmental policies following their accession, but still lag behind for non-EU-related policies. The Eastern enlargement accession candidates started with very low numbers in 1980, expanded after 1990, and arrived at above 25 policies in 2000. For the latter two groups we can clearly see that conditionality had its effect: in preparation for the accession, or shortly thereafter, candidate countries introduced the obligatory EU policies. However, we also observe passive horizontal export by emulation, as is shown in the examples of the US, Mexico, Norway and Switzerland.

Finally, product standards spread much wider and quicker than other kinds of standards. This seems due to the positive externalities of a large market, in which harmonized standards provide an advantage. Further evidence is provided by Knill and Tosun (2009), who analyse the spread of three policies (nitrogen oxides from large combustion plants, the eco-label and environmental impact assessment) across 33 countries between 1980 and 2006. They find that non-Member States did indeed adopt the EU policies to some degree. The effect of hierarchical governance on adoption, including membership and quasi-membership in EEA and conditionality towards accession candidates, is most robust (active export). However, information exchange with neighbouring countries also shows a positive and significant effect on the adoption of the eco-label and large combustion plant regulation. This may be interpreted as indicative of the effect of persuasion as a channel of passive horizontal export.

While we observe passive and active horizontal export on a broader scale – which is due to enlargements and the attractiveness of the EU market and its economic power – cases of vertical export seem comparatively rare during the period before 1990. Although the EU participated in many international environmental agreements, it must be seen as an importer of policies – ratifying international treaties but not shaping them. In

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