In an comparative in-depth analysis of EIA Directive implementation processes in Poland and Lithuania, the paper will explore to which extent theoretical approaches explaining compliance variation within the “old” EU-15 can be applied to the “new” EU-8 and capture variation among these countries. By linking rationalist and constructivist reasoning in a “double interpretation” (Checkel and Zürn 2005, 1045), and elucidating complementary mechanisms that lead to compliance variation within the EU8, the paper will contribute to recent bridge building efforts. The paper will argue that while EU-15 capacity and enforcement approaches help in understanding compliance deficits, the mechanisms behind are better explained by constructivist theory with its focus on identity processes.
