Review Report about Phase 2 Exploring the relationship between environmental regulation and competitiveness. A review report to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural affairs.

Abstract:

<p>This document is a summary review statement of the report for phase 2 of the project titled 'Exploring the relationship between environmental regulation and competitiveness'.</p> <p>The role of external review is to provide an independent challenge to the science commissioned by Defra, to ensure that policy is informed by a high-quality, robust evidence base and to raise the perceived standard of Defra-funded science among stakeholders. The Advisory Group on SCP evidence has a role in quality assurance of research commissioned under the SCP evidence base research programme. This has been undertaken through expert sub-groups of the Advisory Group, including experts from beyond the Group's membership where appropriate.</p> <p>Objective of the research project: <bl> <li>The impact of the design and implementation of regulation on SMEs as compared to larger businesses;</li> <li>The forms of regulation most likely to induce innovation taking account of the different stages in the innovation process, the impact of timing of regulatory announcement and implementation, and the flexibility that can be built into regulations to reflect the specific market circumstances in which the regulated firms operate;</li> <li>The importance of context (i.e. business sectors and/or environmental policy areas) in determining the extent of inducement effects of regulation on innovation, the areas where the inducement potential is highest, and the characteristics of sectors most likely to prompt firms to react to regulation in positive ways. Co-ordinating reviewer's comments.</li> </bl></p>

Author(s):

Foxon, T., Flynn, A. and Turner, K.