Linking compliance and policy learning

This article analyzes the link between compliance and policy learning. It argues that member states that tend to comply with EU regulations are also more prone to learn from EU soft law instruments, such as the Open Method of Co-ordination (OMC). To empirically demonstrate this argument, the article...

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Main Author: Thenia Vagionaki
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: OpenEdition 2022-11-01
Series:International Review of Public Policy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/irpp/2763
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author Thenia Vagionaki
author_facet Thenia Vagionaki
author_sort Thenia Vagionaki
collection DOAJ
description This article analyzes the link between compliance and policy learning. It argues that member states that tend to comply with EU regulations are also more prone to learn from EU soft law instruments, such as the Open Method of Co-ordination (OMC). To empirically demonstrate this argument, the article offers evidence from two illustrative case studies, Greece and Spain, based on insights from semi-structured interviews conducted with EU and national experts. The evidence shows that in Greece, compliance is problematic and learning – via EU soft law – remains mostly blocked. In Spain, where compliance is stronger, learning is more instrumental and political in nature. By focusing on the critical period before and right after the 2008 financial crisis, the article explains the different trajectories of these two Southern European countries with respect to their EU obligations through the lens of policy learning.
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institution Kabale University
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publishDate 2022-11-01
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series International Review of Public Policy
spelling doaj-art-9960fa17d4c14259b5acdd2e0f4862002025-01-09T16:26:10ZengOpenEditionInternational Review of Public Policy2679-38732706-62742022-11-01421924010.4000/irpp.2763Linking compliance and policy learningThenia VagionakiThis article analyzes the link between compliance and policy learning. It argues that member states that tend to comply with EU regulations are also more prone to learn from EU soft law instruments, such as the Open Method of Co-ordination (OMC). To empirically demonstrate this argument, the article offers evidence from two illustrative case studies, Greece and Spain, based on insights from semi-structured interviews conducted with EU and national experts. The evidence shows that in Greece, compliance is problematic and learning – via EU soft law – remains mostly blocked. In Spain, where compliance is stronger, learning is more instrumental and political in nature. By focusing on the critical period before and right after the 2008 financial crisis, the article explains the different trajectories of these two Southern European countries with respect to their EU obligations through the lens of policy learning.https://journals.openedition.org/irpp/2763policy learningcomplianceEU soft lawGreeceSpainEU
spellingShingle Thenia Vagionaki
Linking compliance and policy learning
International Review of Public Policy
policy learning
compliance
EU soft law
Greece
Spain
EU
title Linking compliance and policy learning
title_full Linking compliance and policy learning
title_fullStr Linking compliance and policy learning
title_full_unstemmed Linking compliance and policy learning
title_short Linking compliance and policy learning
title_sort linking compliance and policy learning
topic policy learning
compliance
EU soft law
Greece
Spain
EU
url https://journals.openedition.org/irpp/2763
work_keys_str_mv AT theniavagionaki linkingcomplianceandpolicylearning