CEULA-project

The CEULA (Cumulative Effects of EU Sustainability Legislation: Impacts on Finnish firms) project analyses the cumulative effects of five different EU sustainability legislative mechanisms on Finnish firms (incl.foreign companies located in Finland, which have high sustainability impacts in Finland and are impacted cumulatively by the legislative mechanisms).

The five mechanisms are:

1. Regulation on Deforestation-free Products
2. Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence
3. Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
4. Regulation on Prohibiting Products Made with Forced Labour on the Union Market
5. Eco-design for Sustainable Products Regulation

The primary objectives of this study are to answer the following research questions:

• What are the cumulative effects of EU sustainability legal initiatives on Finnish companies, including their chain of activities outside the EU.
• Through what kind of corporate social responsibility management system would it be possible to fulfil, monitor, and verify obligations of the legislative acts, and to what extent can these systems be unified and synergistic?
• How do the legislative acts mentioned above potentially affect trade flows between Finland and third countries?

The study has a dual analytical focus of: a) supply chain impact assessment b) legal and regulatory analysis.

The aim is to provide information to Finnish companies, decision-makers, and stakeholders on how the aforementioned legislative mechanisms can be best implemented and how the regulations imposed on companies could be further developed.

CEULA is a study commissioned by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, for the Unit for Technology and Sustainability. The project runs between September 2024-December 2024.

Based on an initial assessment of sectors where the legislative mechanisms will intersect/accumulate, while additionally considering some national particularities, the project analyzes four sectors (or rather chains of activities) as case studies: 1) agriculture 2) textiles 3) mining and 4) and forestry. >

CEULA draws on data from desk research, existing data, as well as interview and survey data from firms and suppliers in Finland (as well as selected suppliers in LDCs)

The study is executed through a dual analytical focus of: a) legal and regulatory analysis b) supply chain impact assessment

The project runs between September 2024-December 2024. Interviews are carried out in October.

• Nikodemus Solitander, Hanken, Project Lead, contact: solitander(at)hanken.fi, 0403521451

• Mikko Rajavuori, University of Turku, Legal Analysis Lead

• Martin Fougère, Hanken, Supply Chain Impact Assessment Lead

• Dorothee Cambou, University of Helsinki, Legal Analysis

• Heidi Herlin, Hanken, Supply Chain Impact Assessment

• Neema Komba, Hanken, Supply Chain Impact Assessment

• Amin Maghsoudi, Hanken, Supply Chain Impact Assessment

• Elina Sagne Ollikainen, Åbo Akademi, Supply Chain Impact Assessment/Legal Analysis

• Juho Saloranta, University of Eastern Finland, Legal Analysis

For more information please contact project lead Nikodemus Solitander: solitander(at)hanken.fi, 0403521451