How the EU Pushes Labour Standards in Its Eastern Neighbourhood

What is it about?

This article analyzes how the European Union influences changes over time in labour standards in countries in its Eastern Neighbourhood. It conceptualizes EU actions as potential delta convergence mechanisms and models these influences using a spatial econometric approach. By applying spatial lags and spatial two stage least squares regression, the study examines how EU related pressures affect countries’ rate of alignment with International Labour Organization standards. The findings show that EU influence operates primarily through coercive mechanisms that alter governments’ cost benefit calculations, rather than through example setting or voluntary emulation.

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Photo by Logan Voss on Unsplash

Photo by Logan Voss on Unsplash

Why is it important?

EU external influence is often portrayed as working through socialization, persuasion, or the attractiveness of EU norms. This article challenges that view by demonstrating that, in the Eastern Neighbourhood, labour standards improve mainly in response to coercive pressures rather than normative appeal. By focusing on change rather than levels of compliance, the study provides a more precise understanding of how and when external governance works outside the accession framework. The findings also cast doubt on the effectiveness of widely used policy tools such as participation in the European Neighbourhood Policy or preferential trade schemes.

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