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In Transnational Politics of the Environment Liliana Andonova examines the effect of the Europen Union (EU) on the environmental policies of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Poland. Compliance with EU environmental regulations is especially onerous for Central and Eastern European countries because of the costs involved and the legacy of pollution from communist-era industries. But Andonova argues that EU integration has a positive impact on environmental policies in these countries by exerting a strong influence on the environmental interests of regulated industries. With her empirical study of chemical safety and air pollution policies from 1990 to 2000, she shows that export-competitive industries such as the chemical industry that would benefit from economic integration have an incentive to adopt EU norms. By contrast, industries such as electric utilities that primarily serve the domestic market remain opposed to EU environmental standards and must be prodded by their own governments to implement environmental-protection measures. These differences in domestic interests greatly influence the course of reforms and the adoption of EU standards.
Transnational Politics of the Environment challenges the current focus on intergovernmental cooperation between East and West by highlighting the roles of industries, transnational norms, and domestic institutions in promoting change in environmental regulation. It offers a generalizable framework for understanding the politics of environmental regulation in emerging market economies, and helps bridge the divide between the study of domestic and international environmental politics.
Liliana B. Andonova is a Post-Doctoral Reasearch Associate Scholar at the Earth Institute at Columbia University. After February 2004, she will be Assistant Professor of International Relations and Environmental Politics in the Government Department and the Environmental Studies Program at Colby College.
"A remarkably well-stated presentation of complex environmental history and political relationships in three Eastern European countries, with good research, clear thinking, and equally clear exposition."
– Eugene B. Skolnikoff, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, MIT
"This is the first published analysis of the impacts of the process of enactment and application of EU environmental legislation in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. On the basis of originally researched case histories it assesses the impacts of this process on industrial structures and costs, and on the interplay of industrial, political, and advocacy group interests in the legislative process. It is highly recommended reading not only for academics and experts, but for all those interested in the future development of EU environmental regulation, and in the solution of global environmental issues."
– Tom Garvey, Member of the Board, Russian Regional Environmental Centre, Moscow, Formerly Deputy Director General for Environment, European Commission
