Methodology
There were a number of components to the research. First, an examination of the changing regulatory context of public procurement in the EU was carried out. Second, a comparative study of school meals in the UK and Italy within the different political contexts was undertaken. Third, five case studies were undertaken using local authorities as the unit of analysis. Five places were chosen: 2 from Italy (Rome and Piombino, a small town in Tuscany) and 3 from the UK (South Gloucestershire, Carmarthenshire and East Ayrshire).
The main source of data was semi-structured and in-depth interviews with key actors in the EU, Member State and at Local Authority levels, along with documentary analysis of documented material and grey literature, and two focus groups in two schools in each case study (one with children and one with parents and teachers).
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