European Union's policy on corporate social responsibility and opportunities for the maritime industry

摘要

The European Commission encourages EU member states to promote corporate social responsibility (CSR) among national industries. Several EU member states have responded by legislation on CSR reporting and CSR action plans and strategies. This paper discusses the profitability of CSR and addresses the two following issues. To which extent has the EU CSR policies created opportunities for competitive advantage in the post-2008 maritime world and to which extent did the shipping industry utilises on these opportunities in 2008 to 2010 by implementing CSR policies compared to other industries.