Pier Luigi Parcu

Liberalizing telecommunications in Europe: path dependency and institutional complementarities

We empirically investigate the nature and outcomes of the liberalization process in European telecommunications. First, we show that decisions to liberalize a countrys telecommunications sector have followed a path-dependent and cumulative pace. Moreover, we investigate the extent to which path dependency might have forced liberalizations, regardless of the creation of complementary institutions governing pro-market outcomes. We find that the impact of liberalizations on competition is strongly enhanced by the establishment of complementary institutions, such as the national regulatory authority. Our findings contribute to the existing literature by outlining the role played by path dependency and institutional complementarities in the process of European liberalization. Our conclusions may provide useful lessons for the optimal policy design of pro-market policies in those European network industries that still wait for substantial liberalization.

Smart Cities and Sharing Economy

The concepts of smart city and sharing economy are at the centre of a number of current debates, which touch upon, among others, issues like the current urbanisation trends, the particular economic situation we are facing in the last years, the spread of connectivity and of new technologies and the innovation process in general.This working paper looks at the different and common characteristics of both smart cities and sharing economy models, in order to explore their interaction and complementary dynamics. This is done by analysing the specific features of the two, as well as at regulatory and competition issues they trigger within our current legal framework. The final aim is to make some policy suggestions to the local governments, which are called to cope with these phenomena, and for which the latter could constitute a great opportunity to enhance the local welfare.

The changing postal and delivery sector : towards a renaissance

Result of the 24th Conference on Postal and Delivery Economics, held on May 18–21, 2016 at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies of the EUI

Antitrust enforcement in traditional v online platforms

Workshop ENTraNCE for Executives 4th – 5th December 2015 European University Institute San Domenico di Fiesole, Florence, Italy.

The Evolving Regulation of the Media in Europe as an Instrument for Freedom and Pluralism

European regulation of the media is influenced by the economic regulation of networks, contents, and e-commerce, to which it is very close. However, media regulation has one peculiar differentiating characteristic: it cannot concentrate only on market competition, as the rest of modern economic regulation does, but has to pursue other fundamental values. In particular, media pluralism and media freedom emerge as policy goals that are essential for democracy and human rights in Europe. In this paper, we discuss the EU’s search for a point of equilibrium in Member States’ resistance to the relinquishing of their power in the sector; we describe the current debate, and suggest some possible directions for development.

On Some Historical Contributions of the Postal and Delivery Conference

This paper explores market and regulatory themes developed and debated at CRRI (now EUI-CRRI) Conferences on Postal and Delivery Economics. These include efficiency of postal operators, universal service and financing, third-party access to postal networks, and full market opening (FMO). Thematic development has relied on the cross-fertilizing mixture of participants that includes academics, national postal providers, mail competitors, express courier services, regulators, law scholars, consultants, technology experts and unions.

Private Enforcement of EU Competition Law

The volume represents the outcome of the sixth edition (2016) of the project ENTraNCE for Judges (‘European Networking and Training for National Competition Enforcers’), co-financed by the DG Competition of the European Commission. The edition focused on private enforcement of the EU competition law in the aftermath of the Damages Directive.

The contribution of the postal and delivery sector : between e-commerce and e-substitution

Result of the 25th Conference on Postal and Delivery Economics, held on May 24–27, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain

Media ownership rules in Europe : a focus on EU member states’ legislation on foreign ownership

* In Slovakia, although media outlet, the Council for Broadcasting and Retransmission when granting the license for analogue radio and TV broadcasting (currently used only on analogue radio licensing) has to take into consideration that the applicant has “adequate capital participation of the Slovak persons and their representation in bodies of the company provided that the applicant for the licence is a legal entity with foreign capital participation.” Nevertheless, considering that this requirement does not apply to digital broadcasting licensing in practice, we can say that .

Antitrust compliance programs in Europe : status quo and challenges ahead

Launch Workshop ENTraNCE for Executives, 26-27 June 2015, European University Institute, Florence, Italy.