What is it about?
This article examines how Europeanization influences the ratification of International Labour Organization treaties and the development of labor standards across European countries. Rather than treating Europeanization as a binary condition, the study conceptualizes it as a matter of degree and shows that varying levels of integration and engagement with European institutions are associated with different patterns of treaty ratification and labor protection. The analysis highlights how gradual processes of alignment shape states’ commitments to international labor norms.
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Why is it important?
European integration is often assumed to produce uniform regulatory and social outcomes. This article challenges that assumption by showing that the impact of Europeanization on labor standards is uneven and incremental. By focusing on degrees of integration rather than membership alone, the study offers a more precise understanding of how international and regional institutions influence social policy and labor rights. The findings are relevant for debates on convergence, differentiation, and social Europe.
Perspectives
I approach this article from an interest in moving beyond all-or-nothing accounts of institutional influence. Europeanization, like norm diffusion more broadly, rarely operates through sharp breaks. This study reflects my concern with capturing gradual change and variation in commitment, and with understanding how layered institutional processes translate into tangible differences in labor standards across countries.
Professor Sara Beth Kahn-Nisser
Open University of Israel
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A Matter of Degree: Europeanization, ILO Treaty Ratification and Labour Standards in Europe, Journal of Contemporary European Studies, January 2016, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/14782804.2015.1117967.
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