Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

The food industries of Eastern European countries are described and evaluated in comparison with the food industry in the European Union as a whole. Most of the indicators investigated show a considerable degree of specificity, which should be taken into account in European policy measures for the sector's competitiveness. Enterprises are on average comparatively small in terms of turnover, but large in terms of employment. Investment intensity is low, but control by foreign affiliates is high. The economic performance of these countries is fair in terms of profitability and production development, but low with respect to employment development and labour productivity. Poland, Latvia and Bulgaria have the best-performing food industries.

Keywords

food industry structure conduct performance industrial organization Eastern Europe

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Badunenko

Fritsch

Stephan

(2008), ‘What drives the productive efficiency of a firm? The importance of industry, location R&D and size’, DIW Berlin Discussion Papers, No 775.

Eatwell

, ed (1987), The New Palgrave: A Dictionary of Economics, Macmillan, London.

EC (1998), Regulation (EC) No 2700/98 of 17 December 1998, European Commission, Brussels.

EC (2007), Competitiveness of the European Food Industry – An Economic and Legal Assessment, European Commission, Luxembourg.

Eurostat (2007a), EU Klems database, Website: www.euklems.net.

Eurostat (2007b), Website: www.europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat.

Frohberg

Hartmann

(2001), ‘Konsequenzen der Integration im Agrar- und Ernährungssektor zwischen Beitrittsländern und EU-15’, Discussion Paper No 35, IAMO, Halle (Saale).

Food IMA (2009), Food Industry in Eastern-European Countries (forthcoming), FoodIMA, Rethymno, Greece.

Lienhardt

(2004), ‘The food industry in Europe’, in Statistics in Focus: Industry, Trade and Services 39/2004, Eurostat, Website: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu.

10.

Maier

Hendrikx

(2008), ‘EMU enlargement: Why flexibility matters’, Beyond Transition Newsletter, website: http://web.worldbank.org.

11.

Mann

C. L.

(1991), ‘Industry restructuring in east-central Europe: The challenge and the role for foreign investment’, American Economic Review, Vol 81, No 2, pp 181–184.

12.

Martin

Westgren

van Duren

(1991), ‘Agribusiness competitiveness across national boundaries’, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Vol 73, No 5, pp 1456–1464.

13.

Network of Independent Agricultural Experts in the CEE Candidate Countries – Network CEEC (2000), ‘Key developments in the agri-food chain and on restructuring and privatisation in the CEE candidate countries’, EC Directorate General for Agriculture, Brussels.

14.

Network of Independent Agricultural Experts in the CEE Candidate Countries – Network CEEC (2004), ‘Consumption trends for dairy and livestock products and the use of feeds in production in the CEE accession and candidate countries’, EC Directorate General for Agriculture, Brussels.

15.

Tinbergen

(1952), On the Theory of Economic Policy, North-Holland Publishing, Amsterdam.

16.

Tinbergen

(1967), Economic Policy: Principles and Design, North-Holland Publishing, Amsterdam.

17.

Viaene

Gellynck

(1995), ‘Structure, conduct and performance of the European food sector’, European Review of Agricultural Economics, Vol 22, No 2, pp 282–295.

18.

Viaene

Gellynck

(1999), ‘Competitiveness of the food and drink industry in Poland and the Czech Republic’, in Hartmann

Wandel

, eds, Food Processing and Distribution in Transition Countries: Problems and Perspectives, Vol 3, IAMO, Wissenschaftsverlag Vauk, Kiel, pp 118–130.

19.

Wandel

(2001), Agriculture and Industry in Russia – Transformation in the Food Industry: An Analysis in the Light of the Structure–Conduct–Performance Approach, Vol 10 (in German), IAMO, Wissenschaftsverlag Vauk, Kiel.

The Food Industry in the New EU Member States

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References