Science of Compliance : A comparative study of Denmark’s and Finland’s compliance with EU Directive 2016/2284

Abstract: What societal factors affect the rate of compliance with EU directives by EU member states? This paper aims to answer the question by investigating Finland’s and Denmark’s compliance with the EU Directive 2016/2284. There is a clear difference between them, in that Finland complied with the directive while Denmark did not. In order to understand why, three hypotheses have been produced based on extensive previous research on Europeanisation theory which is a prolific theoretical avenue to understanding the harmonisation of EU law. The hypotheses are differences in legal framework, the strong presence of Green parties in the national governments, and economic pressure set by the directive. By using a comparative method based on Mill’s “Most Similar System Design” I find that Green parties and the economic pressure set on specific national industries do seem to affect the rate at which Denmark and Finland implemented the Directive. The hope is that this paper contributes to the literature concerning Europeanization theory and its views on compliance with EU Directives.