Transnational Politics of the Environment

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This study explores the impact of EU membership on the environmental policies of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Poland, focusing on the interplay between political incentives and industry behavior. Compliance with EU environmental regulations poses significant challenges for Central and Eastern European nations due to the costs and the legacy of pollution from communist-era industries. However, the author argues that EU integration positively influences environmental policies by shaping the interests of regulated industries. Through an empirical analysis of chemical safety and air pollution policies from 1990 to 2000, it is demonstrated that export-oriented industries, like the chemical sector, are incentivized to adopt EU norms for economic integration benefits. In contrast, domestic-focused industries, such as electric utilities, resist EU standards and require government intervention to implement environmental protections. These varying domestic interests significantly affect reform trajectories and the adoption of EU standards. The work challenges the prevailing emphasis on intergovernmental cooperation between East and West, emphasizing the importance of industries, transnational norms, and domestic institutions in driving environmental regulatory changes. It provides a framework for understanding environmental regulation politics in emerging market economies and bridges the gap between domestic and international envir