Being patient: what delays access to new drugs in Europe?
On average, the first citizen to access a new drug in Belgium will wait 13 months longer for it than someone prescribed the same drug in Germany or the UK, despite an EU-wide licensing process. This suggests that country-specific drug regulation—the ‘fourth hurdle’ faced by drug manufacturers—may go a long way to explaining launch delay across Europe.
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The Independent Water Commission—implications for regulation
This week brought the publication of the Independent Water Commission’s final recommendations for reforming the England and Wales water sector. The report identifies a set of recommendations intended to drive a ‘fundamental reset’ in the industry and restore public trust. In this note, we explore five aspects of the Commission’s… Read More
Reform of the German electricity grid tariff system: should producers pay grid charges?
The German regulator Bundesnetzagentur (BNetzA) published a discussion paper regarding the future of electricity grid charges in Germany in May 2025.1 The paper asks critical questions regarding the future grid charging architecture in Germany and the consultation could yield a complete system overhaul in relation to tariff design. Read More