The problem of energy poverty exists in practically every European country. Its size and scope are determined by a variety of factors, ranging from economic development to the direction of energy and climate policy implementation to cultural factors. Our aim in this paper was to carry out a comparative analysis of indicators related to energy poverty and sustainable development to identify correlations and links between the two issues and determine how they are related. The fact that the analysis was performed for most European countries is new and represents a broad spectrum of research; we were not limited to studies of countries bound by formal political-economic arrangements or by consideration of the degree of economic development. This approach enabled explication of how diverse the situation is in Europe. The research methods used included a critical analysis of the literature and the use of descriptive and mathematical-statistical tools. The main conclusions and findings of the analysis were that in some countries in economically developed Europe, energy poverty is a major problem, and that, in this respect, there are large differences between “old European Union” and “new European Union” countries, and in the countries that do not belong to political-economic structures in Europe. It is clear, from the research, which countries are rapidly and effectively reducing their energy poverty problems and which factors are the determinants of this. These results are linked to the new direction of energy policy and the shift towards more environmentally friendly energy use. In conclusion, it has been possible to identify the causes of energy poverty and how the energy poverty situation in Europe is changing.

Purpose: The paper concerns supply chains. It aims to identify the essential improvement actions that manufacturing companies expect their suppliers to take in the future rather than selection requirements already used in the assessment process. Within those improvement actions, the goal is to determine whether the size and management methods used in assessing companies affect these future expectations. Design/methodology/approach: Hypotheses were developed regarding the expectations of manufacturing companies and the factors influencing these expectations. Data collected from 118 companies from the Polish automotive, metal and chemical sectors were used to verify them. For this purpose, the U-Mann Whitney test was applied. Findings: Manufacturing companies expect their suppliers to improve: (1) products, (2) processes, (3) organization management, (4) communication and (5) relationship, with the most important thing for them is the improvement of products and processes. It was found that the expectations regarding the contributors are influenced by whether the manufacturing company is a large or small enterprise or it uses or not the Toyota Production System. Lean Management and the ISO 14,001 Environmental Management System do not translate into these expectations. Originality/value: : The article gives a new look at shaping relations between suppliers and customers in supply chains. Unlike most of the research to date, it does not concern the requirements that suppliers should meet at a given moment but focuses on the improvement actions they should undertake in the future. This paper adds important detail to understanding cooperation in B2B relations.

It can be observed that manufacturing companies (especially Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs)), by promoting the implementation of the sustainability concept among their suppliers, refer to the requirements included in international standards which constitute guidelines for the implementation of quality, environmental and safety management systems. The effective implementation of these guidelines of the standards are often subject to initial and periodic evaluation as well as self-evaluation by suppliers. It can be seen that OEMs not only require effective implementation of quality, environmental and security management systems, but also offer a supplier a development program to improve their processes and products. The aim of the article was to try to define the expectations of production companies towards their suppliers regarding the implementation of the sustainability concept. The study presents the results of empirical research conducted with the computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) technique in medium and large manufacturing companies operating in Poland. The results of these studies indicate the important role of the requirements included in international management standards as the expectations of manufacturing companies towards suppliers. The surveyed manufacturing companies focus in particular on reducing the risk of noncompliance and limiting the negative environmental impact by suppliers on the processes and products.

The article aims to present the role of supplier evaluation criteria in reducing purchasing risk. Before a purchasing enterprise starts cooperating with suppliers, it set specific requirements and expectations. The fulfilment of these requirements and expectations is verified through the evaluation of suppliers. Evaluation results should indicate potential risks that may arise in the development of partnership cooperation. The article includes the results of empirical research conducted using the computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) technique in medium and large manufacturing companies operating in Poland. The results of the conducted empirical research indicate that companies wishing to partner with suppliers try to limit the level of risk associated with purchases. When evaluating suppliers, manufacturers focus mainly on reducing the risk associated with the defective technical quality of products, timely deliveries, delivery flexibility, time to restore continuity of deliveries, completeness of order fulfilment and delivery documentation, as well as price competitiveness. Also, in the evaluation of suppliers, companies operating in Poland are beginning to pay attention to the reduction of negative environmental impact.