EU-Russia regulatory competition and business interests in post-Soviet countries: the case of forestry and chemical security in Ukraine

Abstract

A central aspect of the EU’s influence over countries located in its neighborhood consists in its ability to export regulatory governance arrangements beyond its borders. Taking the example of developments in the field of forestry and chemical security management in Ukraine, this contribution underlines the importance of the interplay between domestic and external interests by pointing to macro-political and micro-political (i.e. sectoral) dynamics. While the first case study illustrates how inter-sectoral conflict can hamper harmonization with EU rules, the second shows that macro-political decisions relating to the geopolitical orientation of the state can override sectoral logics.