Institutional isomorphism between Lebanon and Europe : myth or reality of a legal alignment? -

Abstract

This research aims at fostering the reflection of the degree of legal alignment between the traditions of the European Union and Lebanon, partner state of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and Member State of the Union for the Mediterranean. It purports to examine how recent legislative changes have occurred in Lebanon. In this vein, this paper will examine the extent to which European cooperation and influence contributed to changing existing legal domestic realities within the Lebanese Republic, inducing and inspiring reforms on the level of national law, in order to establish legal frameworks and traditions more aligned with those of the EU using the institutional approach of Paul DiMaggio and Walter Powell . The research question that shall be answered in the course of this paper, is to assess the extent to which Lebanon adopts norm that are in compliance with the EU policies of cooperation, creating a larger legal vision in the area of the Mediterranean. Providing deeper research and shedding light onto the impact of this policy of Cooperation within Lebanon will allow to increase the visibility and the interest in the study of the Euro-Mediterranean relations. Therefore the question that shall be answered in the course of this paper is to examine to “what extent the European Agreements of international cooperation in Lebanon constitute an isomorphic vector for legal alignment, implementing in the long run a more harmonized legal framework in Lebanon in accordance with European Laws? Preliminary findings of this research already demonstrate that the processes of legal alignment in Lebanon are partially existent. However it seems that the theory of institutional isomorphism in the context of Lebanon fails to describe the processes of legislative homogenization. This development raises the question of the degree of applicability of this theory to an empirical reality that mainly attempts to explain the process of legal alignment among organizations outside of the scope of private sector institut