The Standards Design : A 'New Area for Firms' Competitiveness? An Application to the ISO 14001 Standard

The ISO 14001 standard is an institutional device aiming at reducing transaction costs. Nevertheless, the standard-setting process constitutes a strategic area where several forces interact to influence the redaction in a sense favourable to private interests rather than public interest. The history of the ISO 14001 design enables us to identify several strategic issues embedded in the standard-setting process. Consequently, the overall environmental effectiveness and economic efficiency of the ISO 14001 standard are built in a significant way during the standard-setting stage. Several policy implications are stressed