Liberalisation of Utilities and Evolving European Regulation

Abstract

In this article, David Coen and Chris Doyle provide an overview of recent liberalisation and regulatory developments affecting key utility sectors (electricity, gas, postal service, and telecommunications) in the European Union. They examine what kind of competition is suitable in the utilities, and discuss obstacles that lie in the path of competition. They address in detail the institutional design of sector specific regulation. National and supra‐national regulatory structures are analysed and these are illustrated by examples drawn from several European countries. In institutional terms, they argue that it is important regulatory regimes have a high degree of flexibilityand speed to allow for the continued evolution of the EU utility sector.