What is it about?
This article examines how external governance by the European Union and the International Labour Organization influences labor standards in countries seeking EU membership. It analyzes the role of convention ratification and international monitoring in shaping domestic labor protections during the accession process. The study shows how EU conditionality and ILO oversight interact, and how accession countries respond to overlapping external expectations in the labor domain.
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Why is it important?
EU accession is often assumed to drive broad improvements in labor standards, yet the mechanisms behind this change are rarely unpacked. By distinguishing between ratification and monitoring and by examining the combined influence of the EU and the ILO, this article provides a more precise account of how external governance operates. The findings contribute to debates about conditionality, compliance, and the effectiveness of international organizations in promoting labor rights beyond formal membership.
Perspectives
I approach this article from an interest in how multiple external governance frameworks intersect in shaping domestic policy change. Rather than viewing the EU as the sole driver of reform, the study reflects a concern with how accession countries navigate layered pressures from different international institutions. By focusing on labor standards, the article highlights how international norms are filtered through monitoring practices and political incentives during periods of institutional transition.
Professor Sara Beth Kahn-Nisser
Open University of Israel
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: External governance, convention ratification and monitoring: The EU, the ILO and labour standards in EU accession countries, European Journal of Industrial Relations, January 2014, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0959680113520097.
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