Objectif To analyse the effect on the competitiveness, employment and skills of individual firms, when they make adjustments to environmental legislation and pressures coming from purchasers in the market.OBJECTIVES: To analyse the effect on the competitiveness, employment and skills of individual firms, when they make adjustments to environmental legislation and pressures coming from purchasers in the market. DESCRIPTION: Matched plant comparisons are applied to the issue of environmental standards, company competitiveness, the diffusion of clean technology, profitability and employment. Samples of manufacturing and retail firms are compared across Northern and Southern Ireland, Germany and Italy. All of these regions contain Objective 1 or equivalent areas, and are distinguished by varying environmental standards and levels of enforcement. The research concentrates on the food industry and looks specifically at the following issues: (i.)Food processing The impact of environmental regulation and other forms of "pressures" on company competitiveness are measured. (ii.)Retailer Effects The pressures for environmental and competitiveness improvements arising from market sources, especially from retail firms are evaluated, including how manufacturers adjust to these pressures. (iii.) Packaging suppliers The impact of changes in demand and in the environmental regulations on packaging and the linkage effects between participants in the supply chain, including manufacturers and retailers are explored. These linkages and supply chain pressures are examined in both directions, both up and down from the retailer. Samples consist of entire supply chains (packaging suppliers, food processors, retail purchasers) with one hundred and fifty firms being sampled in total. The sampling of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs), multinational branch firms, private and state companies reflects the varying structures of ownership in the case study regions. The overall conclusions will focus on the drivers for and the effects of environmental improvement in the packaging-food-supply chain. Champ scientifique social scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managementemployment Programme(s) FP4-ENV 2C - Specific programme of research and technological development in the field of environment and climate, 1994-1998 Thème(s) 04 - Human dimensions of environmental change Appel à propositions Data not available Régime de financement CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinateur Queen's University of Belfast Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse University Road BT7 1NN Belfast Royaume-Uni Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée Participants (2) Trier par ordre alphabétique Trier par contribution de l’UE Tout développer Tout réduire Economie e Ecologia Srl Italie Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse Stada Maggiore 29 40125 Bologna Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung Allemagne Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse 5,Poschingerstraße 81679 München Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée