| The countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEECs) are eager to join the European Union (EU). In order to become full members, applicant states must demonstrate commitment to the institution's goals by adopting the entire body of community law known as the “acquis communitaire.” All ten of the applicant states to the EU are aligning their policies with those of the institution, but the strength in timing of policy reforms varies considerably across CEECs. This dissertation argues that the prospect of membership in the EU leads states to accept a wide body of new policies, which then leads to an internalization of institutional norms. However, political, economic and social forces within the confines of the state determine the variation in the strength and timing of policy reforms. Thus, it is necessary to examine the exogenous and endogenous forces impacting reforms. By tracing the transposition and implementation of an important EU environmental directive (Habitats Directive) in four applicant states (Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia and the Slovak Republic), this dissertation sheds light on the reasons why states desire to join the institution, how the conditions influencing the strength and timing of environmental reforms in transition states are important to understand. The findings herein reveal that a strong geopolitical pull, supportive elite attitudes and centralized and strategic domestic institutions produce quicker and stronger environmental reforms in response to invitations from the EU. More specifically, the invitations to join the EU serve as catalysts for environmental reforms, particularly for states with higher security concerns, but the structure of the decision-making process, elite attitudes and the strategies adopted for policy alignment within each state explain when, and to what degree, environmental reforms take place. Thus, the argument moves the debate over the source of environmental reforms in transition states into sharper focus, demonstrating that while states are indeed responsive to external forces such as the prospect of joining an international institution offering verifiable benefits, some states are increasingly capable of, and efficient at, transposing and implementing EU environmental directives. |
