Implementation Is the Hardest Word: Explaining Georgia’s (Non)-Compliance with European Union Acquis

Abstract

ABSTRACT Numerous studies have looked into why and how EU-supported policies are adopted in non–EU member states. However, the practical implementation of such policies has only received modest scholarly attention. This article shows that EU policies, once adopted, continue to be negotiated and resisted during their implementation phase. Based on interviews with experts involved in twelve Twinning projects in Georgia, this article aims to uncover the mechanisms behind less successful compliance with the EU acquis: insufficient administrative capacity and the politicized nature of public administration are likely to significantly affect the degree to which EU law is implemented.