Agenda Archive

Airports, regulators and governments: making big projects happen

August 2015

How can we ensure that large infrastructure projects go ahead in a world where private investors, governments, regulators, users and local residents may all have different priorities? Drawing on more than 30 years’ experience in the airports sector, Mike Toms, Oxera Non-executive Director, formerly Planning Director of BAA plc, and now a director of Birmingham International Airport Ltd, proposes a checklist for governments to consider when approving such projects

En route to French transport liberalisation: the coach market

August 2015

Passenger transport markets in Europe have been, and continue to be, liberalised across jurisdictions and sectors. Since July 2015, passenger coach operators in France have been allowed to operate without regulation on longer routes (over 100km). For shorter routes, ARAFER, the French regulator for rail and roads, will test whether the coach service is likely to threaten the viability of the public rail service offered by SNCF on the same route. What changes could this reform bring, and how might the economic test be applied?

Can effective communication empower consumers?

August 2015

The UK Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) smarter consumer communications initiative places product disclosure at the centre of the Authority’s efforts to ensure consumer protection and facilitate competition. The FCA recognises that poorly designed regulatory disclosure material that does not present information in a clear and accessible way can hinder consumers’ ability to make informed decisions. But what is good disclosure practice, and how can behavioural insights be used to improve disclosure?

New powers for telecoms and media regulators? Part 1: the rise of oligopolists

August 2015

Continued M&A activity in the fixed and mobile telecoms sector is creating more concentrated oligopolistic market structures that may pose problems for regulators trying to impose remedies on the basis of joint dominance findings. In addition, vertical integration between network operators and content providers, and the growth of communications bundles including premium TV content, are creating new challenges for regulators and antitrust enforcers. Is the European telecoms regulatory framework fit to deal with these challenges?