Globalization drives former republics of the Soviet Union to raise standards to levels required for membership in European market

Like the rest of the former Soviet Union, Estonia and Baltic neighbours Latvia and Lithuania were left an atrocious legacy of cities polluted by enormous outdated factories and towering smokestacks, as well as a countryside littered with Red Army relics. But a decade on, the Baltic states have put their resources and reputation into cleaning up the mess, even as neighbours such as Russia continue to let their worst environmental problems slide. In Estonia, the government says that, per capita, it is spending more money on the environment than any other former Soviet republic. And it is not because of an effective environmental movement. Estonia is being pushed toward higher standards by globalization -- the force that is often the target of environmentalists. To become a full member in the European Union, which the Baltic states would like to be in the next few years, they must harmonize their laws with those of other member states, modernize aging refineries, tackle zones of excessive air pollution, and meet continental standards for drinking water and forest management. The lure of Europe's open market appeals to Estonia and its neighbours, as does the aid they are eligible to receive to meet some of the world's toughest environmental standards. With the help of EU money, Lithuania is closing a giant Soviet-era landfill near its northern border with Latvia and building a modern one in a more secure location. Latvia is renovating its water-purification and sewage facilities, a move that will reduce pollution flowing into the Baltic.