Assessing subsidiarity

This paper discusses the assessment of subsidiarity in the European Union from a broad fiscal federalism perspective. It incorporates recent insights from political economy analyses of fiscal federalism to arrive at a list of issues that need to be taken into account when considering whether concrete policies should be centralised in the European Union or not. �

Making EU network, markets competitive

Since the late 1980s the EU has made great strides in the liberalization of network markets. This article assumes a horizontal perspective, juxtaposing different network markets while focusing solely on the rules and policies at EU level. A six step checklist is applied to facilitate a comparative analysis of EU regulatory liberalization in gas, electricity, telecoms, postal services, and rail and air transport. Competition policy is discussed with respect to: the relation between regulation and competition policy; the role of the EC Curt; the 'essential facility' doctrine; defining relevant markets; and merger control in network industries. Finally, the question is addressed as to whether these network industries operate in an EC internal market. The answer is no. Policy recommendations: the EU defines a well-considered overall strategy for network market liberalization; the issue of the internal market with common regulators, at least where a subsidiarity test is passed, should be squarely addressed

The GSM standard: Explaining a success story

The study offers an in-depth analysis of the Groupe Special Mobile (GSM) standard, a network compatibility standard for digital cellular mobile telecommunications in Europe. It highlights the central role played by governance in securing the successful adoption of GSM in Europe, detailing the complex coordination process among an array of actors, private and public, at different levels. The study concludes by showing the striking difference between the European experience and the non-cooperative process of adopting digital mobile standards in the United States

Progress in Prosperity. Reconciling Economic and Social Policy Objectives in the EU

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