The impact of environmental regulations on competitiveness: qualitative analysis of the REACH legislation applied to chemical companies in the province of Alessandria, Piedmont (IT)

The paper is intended to analyse the impact of the REACH regulation on the competitiveness of chemical companies in the province of Alessandria. In particular, it aims to verify the applicability of Porter's hypothesis (1995) in the territorial context considered. This objective was achieved by conducting interviews involving professionals within the companies participating in the research. The legislation subject of the thesis is Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006, known as REACH, which seeks, through the registration, evaluation and authorisation of substances, to ensure a higher level of protection of human health and the environment, while aspiring to maintain and strengthen the innovative capabilities and competitive position of the European chemical industry. The choice of this topic stemmed from an attachment to the subject of sustainability and the desire to apply the knowledge developed during my studies in a concrete context, thus delving into the dynamics of a territory (besides having great relevance to the subject of the research paper) to which I am very attached. The structure of the thesis follows the process that led to the achievement of the stated objective. It started with an in-depth study of the regulation, focusing on the main processes and Articles. This investigation of the design of the directive made it possible to identify REACH as a case study of Porter's hypothesis (1995), according to which an environmental regulation may be able to trigger an innovation mechanism that offsets compliance costs, thereby increasing the competitiveness of the companies concerned. After clearly defining the objective of the research, the next step was to analyse the possible impacts, followed by the definition of the interview questions and the methodology of data collection to verify these. The interviews were then carried out, the transcripts of which can be found in the Appendix of the paper. After collecting the information, the participants' answers were analysed and compared. The research allows general conclusions to be drawn on the relationship between the regulation subject of the study and the competitiveness of the companies involved in the investigation. These conclusions, being the result of the contribution of the interviewees and the territorial context considered, are not generalisable, but provide interesting points for reflection and the possibility of building on the results obtained. This is because, in addition to offering a clear explanation and analysis of the regulation, the paper presents a list of questions that can be used by other researchers who share an interest in the same objective, evaluating the opportunity to expand the geographical area of relevance.