Policy transfer and pre-accession: Europeanisation of the Czech employment policy

In this paper, I will analyse the development of employment policy in the Czech Republic in the context of preparing for accession to the European Union while considering the current restructuring processes in future EU Member States from the perspective of Europeanisation and policy transfer. The first part of the paper presents some considerations about adequate conceptualisation of the recent adaptation processes in the EU accession countries. The second part presents research findings stemming from a study of employment policy transfer in the context of EU enlargement that provide some insights into current restructuring processes in the Czech Republic. On the basis of these case study findings, enlargement may be described as a mix of different Europeanisation modes and logics. These form the background of the restructuring of public policies and institutional structures in the context of the preparations for accession to the EU, even in a weakly integrated policy area such as employment.