The Firm, Competitiveness and Environmental Regulations: A Study of the European Food Processing Industries

Do environmental regulations harm international competitiveness? In answer to this question, this book focuses on the impact of regulatory policies on competitiveness and employment at the firm level. It investigates the trade-off between environmental regulations and competitiveness across countries and regions throughout Europe, using the food processing industry as a case study.

The authors compare and contrast the experiences of similar firms across Europe to examine the different costs firms face in applying environmental regulations and the different levels of competitiveness they achieve as a result. The investigation includes a detailed and thorough comparison of the European food processing industries using 67 company case studies. The results show that firms can achieve national or international levels of competitiveness even when they face a relatively unfavourable level of regulatory costs. These important findings will almost certainly have general application to small and medium sized firms in other industries.

This book will be welcomed by policymakers, practitioners, researchers and academics interested in industrial economics, environmental management and environmental economics.

David Hitchens, Professor of Applied Economics and Head of Department of Economics, Queen’s University, Belfast, Esmond Birnie, Ulster University, Angela McGowan, formerly Research Assistant, Queen’s University, Belfast, UK, Ursula Triebswetter, Department of Labor and Economics, State Capital Munich, Germany and Alberto Cottica, former Research Oficer, Eco and Eco, Bologna, Italy