No water, no growth: tackling inefficient business water demand
Water is not typically thought of as a constraint on economic growth in England. Yet that is precisely what it is becoming. Commercial growth and new developments are being turned away because there is insufficient water to serve them. Some water companies are already exercising their powers to refuse… Read More
The energy trilemma in focus: the price of dependence
Europe’s approach to energy policy has been in transition since the 2022 energy crisis laid bare the continent’s dependence on imported fossil fuels. More recently, the outbreak of war in the Middle East and the subsequent disruption to global oil and gas markets have caused further challenges. This article… Read More
Oxera responds to the European Commission’s consultation on its Draft Merger Guidelines
We welcome the Commission’s work to consolidate more than two decades of decisional practice, economic analysis and case law into a single framework. The draft is a strong foundation for future merger enforcement, particularly in its treatment of non-price competition, efficiencies and the broader assessment of competitive effects. Read More
Podcasts
How does economic policy shape European markets?
In this episode of Top of the Agenda, Helen Jenkins sits down with Sir Philip Lowe, who spent over 40 years at the European Commission, to reflect on his career. From his early work in the 1970s responding to the decline of industries such as coal and… Read More
The two realities of operations: how process mining could reshape regulation
There are two distinct realities operating simultaneously in all organisations: (i) the theoretical, represented by policy documents, flowcharts and training manuals; (ii)the practical, or what actually happens across systems and teams and the necessary workarounds needed when things go wrong. Process mining is a data-driven discipline designed to uncover… Read More
Oxera AI policy map – June 2026
For this fourth edition of the AI Policy Map,1 we have updated our database that tracks key national and supranational AI policy developments across the European Economic Area (EEA) and the UK. This curated collection brings together legal texts, strategy documents and other influential publications relevant to… Read More
Europe’s energy trilemma returns: security of supply, carbon markets and competitiveness in an era of geopolitical risk
Europe’s energy debate has evolved since the 2022 energy crisis, with the emphasis now on balancing decarbonisation, energy security, affordability and industrial competitiveness. Increasing geopolitical risks and high energy costs are driving renewed interest in policy interventions that affect gas infrastructure, storage mandates, joint purchasing and strategic reserves. Meanwhile,… Read More
How will Europe be affected by the global oil and gas supply crisis?
The conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran, which has disrupted traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, has caused major disruption in global oil and gas supplies, triggering complex economic consequences across industries and markets far beyond the energy sector. In this episode of Top of the Agenda,… Read More
Draft merger guidelines: can we ensure dynamic and innovative markets flourish in Europe?
The European Commission’s draft merger guidelines are one of the most important ongoing debates in European policy. Nearly two decades have passed since the guidelines were last reviewed, and the new draft draws upon years of practice and precedent — reassessing core concerns around market power and consumer harm… Read More
Ofgem’s RIIO-ED3 SSMD: what next for GB electricity distribution networks
On 21 May 2026, Ofgem published its Sector Specific Methodology Decision (SSMD)1 for the forthcoming RIIO-ED3 (ED3) price control for GB electricity distribution network operators (DNOs). We explore some of the key themes in the Decision, ahead of the upcoming business planning period and the expected publication… Read More