Romania and Post-accession Compliance with EU Environmental Policy

Abstract

The positive rates of post-accession compliance with EU legislation exhibited by the member states of the 2004 and 2007 accession waves raise the question of the factors that have influenced this unexpected relatively positive record compared to the old member states. In this context, this chapter aims to examine Romania’s post-accession compliance behavior in environmental policy. It addresses the factors that have shaped Romania’s post-accession compliance with environmental legislation as it has benefited from long-term transitional arrangements. I argue that conditionality has played a significant role in the successful closing of the accession negotiations, notably chapter 22 Environment, having in mind that Romania managed to align its legislation following the European rules but needed extended deadlines for problematic areas of the environment, where adjustment pressures were high due to financial and administrative costs. In the post-accession stage, the European Commission’s monitoring and sanctioning mechanisms through the infringement procedures have been a defining variable in explaining Romania’s good transposition record. Thus, this study seeks to contribute to the implementation literature focused on the critical case of Romania. It aims to shed light on the new member states’ implementation behavior by evaluating Romania’s performance in the area of environment, more than 10 years after the accession to the EU.