B De Borger

Explaining differences in productive efficiency: An application to Belgian municipalities

The purpose of this paper is to measure and explain variations in productive efficiency of municipal governments in Belgium. Technical efficiency is evaluated using a non-parametric method based on the Free Disposal Hull (FDH) reference technology. We first calculate input, output, and graph Farrell efficiency measures for a cross-section of all 589 Belgian municipalities. In a second stage of the analysis we explain the calculated differences in efficiency in terms of variables related to the structural characteristics of municipalities and to the institutional environment.

Alternative transport pricing and regulation policies: A welfare analysis for Belgium in 2005

Abstract This paper analyses the efficiency of alternative pricing and regulatory instruments to internalise externalities in transportation. Optimisation models are used to compute the best transport equilibria for given sets of policy instruments. The case study covers urban and non-urban transport and the different modes of passenger and freight transport.