The level of socioeconomic development of EU countries and the state of ISO 14001 certification

Barbara Fura,Qingfang Wang

doi:10.1007/s11135-015-0297-7

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between the level of socioeconomic development of the EU 28 countries and the adoption of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 environmental management system. First, through a multivariate comparative analysis of the secondary data obtained from the public statistics, a Hellwig’s synthetic indicator is created to rank the level of socioeconomic development of the EU 28 countries. Then, using the total number of certificates issued in 2012 and the increase from 2011, this study has found a correlation between the level of national socioeconomic development and the adoption of ISO 14001 system in their businesses. Although there was no relationship between the number of ISO 14001 certificates in 2012 and the level of socioeconomic development at the national level, a weak negative correlation was observed between the increase of certification from 2011 to 2012 and the level of national socioeconomic development. The results suggest a higher interest in ISO 14001 adoption by the firms from the less developed countries than those from the more developed states.

Highlights

The changing business environment and intensified competition have urged many companies to operate their businesses in compliance with accepted norms and standards which include general regulations of business activities, and social norms andB
This study examines the relationship between the level of socioeconomic development of the EU 28 countries and the adoption of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 environmental management system
There was no relationship between the number of ISO 14001 certificates in 2012 and the level of socioeconomic development at the national level, a weak negative correlation was observed between the increase of certification from 2011 to 2012 and the level of national socioeconomic development

Summary

Introduction

The changing business environment and intensified competition have urged many companies to operate their businesses in compliance with accepted norms and standards which include general regulations of business activities, and social norms andB. The changing business environment and intensified competition have urged many companies to operate their businesses in compliance with accepted norms and standards which include general regulations of business activities, and social norms and. Wang standards in the area of environmental protection (Chen and Chang 2013; Habek and Wolniak 2015). Norms and standards can bring greater predictability and reduced risks for businesses. It is important for countries as members of international economic institutions and organizations, including countries newly admitted into the EU as well as those looking forward to accession. Requirements for standardisation are relatively new issues that pose more challenges for companies from the less developed states

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Results

Conclusion