The Relationship between Common Management and Ecotourism Development: Tragedy or Triumph of the Commons? A Law and Economics Answer

Since its origin, ecotourism development has been at the centre of controversial and heated debates within the environmental and scientific society. On one hand, it has been considered as a model of responsible and sustainable tourism with the capacity to guarantee the conservation of the current biodiversity level and cultural identity, to educate the tourists about preservation and to improve the economic activity and the standard of living of the populations affected. On the other hand, it has been criticized for actually being a mere instrument in the hands of capitalist and western firms to commercially exploit the natural resources available in the less developed countries. Thus, are the ecotourism projects more likely to be profitable and successful in territories where the common resources are controlled by the state or managed by private firms? Considered the most frequent and spontaneous solution noticed in the ordinary daily life of the emerging countries, meaning natural resources owned communally by local institutions, does ecotourism impede or reinforce this management function of coordinating and controlling? The empirical researches conducted in literature tried to answer to some of the above-mentioned questions and offered the opportunity for a Law and Economics assessment of the problem related to the common-pool resources.Common-Pool Resources, Commons Management, Development, Ecology, Environment, Governance, Property Rights, Sustainability, Tragedy of the Commons

Essays on economic analysis of competition law: theory and practice

Contiene: The antitrust treatment of loyalty discounts and rebates in the EU Competition law: in search of an economic approach and a theory of consumer harm; The Effectiveness of competition policy: an econometric assessment in developed and developing countries; Cartel detection and collusion screening: an empirical analysis of the London Metal Exchange.Contiene: The antitrust treatment of loyalty discounts and rebates in the EU Competition law: in search of an economic approach and a theory of consumer harm; The Effectiveness of competition policy: an econometric assessment in developed and developing countries; Cartel detection and collusion screening: an empirical analysis of the London Metal Exchange.LUISS PhD Thesi

The effectiveness of competition policy: an econometric assessment in developed and developing countries

The ultimate objective of the present paper is to empirically investigate the effectiveness of competition policy in developed and developing countries. Although its importance is continuously increasing, the effectiveness of competition policy still seems to lack the attention that it would deserve. At the present state of art, the number of academic contributions that attempts to estimate its impact on relevant economic variables appears very limited, in particular for the less developed countries. However, an empirical literature aimed at measuring in objective terms the effect of competition policy on economic growth is emerging, starting from narrow variables of interest, such as Gross Domestic Product and Total Factor Productivity. As a result, the principal aim of the current work is to contribute to this branch of research, focusing on broader indicators of market performance, in order to understand whether the presence of an antitrust authority has a significant impact, thus an effective utility, on the level of competition of a country.The ultimate objective of the present paper is to empirically investigate the effectiveness of competition policy in developed and developing countries. Although its importance is continuously increasing, the effectiveness of competition policy still seems to lack the attention that it would deserve. At the present state of art, the number of academic contributions that attempts to estimate its impact on relevant economic variables appears very limited, in particular for the less developed countries. However, an empirical literature aimed at measuring in objective terms the effect of competition policy on economic growth is emerging, starting from narrow variables of interest, such as Gross Domestic Product and Total Factor Productivity. As a result, the principal aim of the current work is to contribute to this branch of research, focusing on broader indicators of market performance, in order to understand whether the presence of an antitrust authority has a significant impact, thus an effective utility, on the level of competition of a country.Refereed Working Papers / of international relevanc

New Fabrication Methodologies for the Development of Low Power Gas Sensors Based on Semiconducting Nanowires

[eng] The air and environment quality is, nowadays, one of the main political concerns of the governmental institutions. Suitable gas detection is nowadays an important requirement, which is provided by gas sensors. Metal oxide semiconductors are the most common materials used as semiconducting gas sensors. They can be used with different type of operational mechanisms, like resistive, capacitive or optical based sensors, among others. The main objective of this dissertation is to contribute towards the improvement of gas sensors based on semiconducting nanowires. The easy integration of nanowires in low consumption devices is the fundamental idea that guides this dissertation, and the subsequent characterization of the sensors. Furthermore, the low power consumption of the device is a constant condition of the presented procedures, implemented by means of MEMS substrate that has been used as platform for all the fabricated sensors. The easy integration of nanowire-based devices by using localized growth on top of sensing platforms has been developed, by a site-specific growth of SnO2 and Ge nanowires on top of micromembranes and microhotplates, on the sensing area of the gas sensors. The fabrication procedure allows in single process the growth of NW networks on top of the electronic platforms that will be used for the gas sensing, an important step forward towards the integration of nanowires on electronic devices. On the other hand, the fabricated devices can be used as gas sensors readily after the growth. The gas sensing behaviour of SnO2 networks have been characterized towards different gases; specifically, the kinetics of ammonia response in dry and humid air has been analysed in detail. In addition, the influence of water vapour is analysed, and thus, the chemical paths of the interaction with ammonia have been related to the operating temperature. Furthermore, the synthesized meshes of Ge NWs have been for the first time, at the best of our knowledge, studied as a gas sensor. The chemical interactions towards oxidizing and reducing gases are analysed, paying important attention on the structural characterization, which results primordial for the analysis of sensing behaviour. A procedure based on electron beam lithography is explored in order to fabricate individual nanowire-based devices on top of microhotplates and micromembranes. The experimental procedure for that is detailed in the different steps. The individual nanowires have also studied as a gas sensor, whose results are discussed and compared to their mesh counterpart.[spa] La tesis titulada New Fabrication Methodologies for the Development of Low Power Gas Sensors Based on Semiconducting Nanowires, se enmarca dentro de los sensores de gas para la monitorización ambiental de la calidad del aire, con el objetivo de detectar la presencia de gases nocivos para la salud humana. El trabajo desarrollado se basa en el uso de sensores de gas resistivos, es decir, que la adsorción de un gas en la superficie del sensor da lugar a un cambio en la conductividad del sensor, el cual repercute en un cambio de su resistencia medible experimentalmente. Los materiales utilizados son los óxidos metálicos, materiales semiconductores de banda prohibida ancha (entre 2 y 4 eV). Generalmente, los óxidos metálicos necesitan ser calentados a una temperatura por encima de 150 ºC para promover la interacción con los gases adsorbidos, que se lleva a cabo mediante la denominada quimisorción, una interacción localizada que implica una transferencia de carga entre el semiconductor y la especie de gas. Dado que el gas se adsorbe en la superficie del material, el mecanismo es considerado como superficial, cuya sensibilidad depende en gran medida, entre otros efectos, del ratio superficie/volumen. Así pues, las nanoestructuras aparecen como candidatas óptimas para ser utilizadas como sensor de gas. En la tesis mencionada, se utilizan estructuras unidimensionales, concretamente nanohilos semiconductores como parte activa. El principal desafío para la comercialización de sensores basados en nanohilos es, actualmente, la integración de estos en un dispositivo de forma eficiente y escalable. Un nuevo método de fabricación que mejor la integración de los nanohilos en sus plataformas electrónicas ha sido desarrollado, basado en el crecimiento localizado de nanohilos monocristalinos sobre microplacas calefactoras, es decir, membranas de dimensiones micrométricas que contienen un microcalefactor enterrado. El calefactor es utilizado para proporcionar la temperatura necesaria para la termólisis del precursor durante el crecimiento, y para calentar y promover la reacción durante el sensado de gas. Mediante este proceso han sido crecidos nanohilos de SnO2 y de Ge, en forma de redes con múltiples nanohilos conectados entre sí. Los dispositivos fabricados han sido caracterizados como sensores de gas. Los nanohilos de dióxido de estaño presentan la máxima respuesta ante amoníaco. Los mecanismos químicos que se dan lugar durante la interacción entre el amoníaco y el semiconductor han sido analizados a partir de la respuesta cinética y los distintos fenómenos observados, en aire seco y húmedo. Los nanohilos de Ge han sido estudiados por primera vez como sensores de gas, manteniendo una temperatura de 100 ºC. El comportamiento de tipo p de los nanohilos ha sido determinado a partir de medidas de efecto campo. Los nanohilos presentan una capa de óxido de Ge en la superficie, de alrededor de 1 nm, que posee un papel clave en la interacción, ya que contiene sitos de adsorción para el sensado de gas. El mecanismo de sensado de Ge se concluye como consistente con un óxido metálico de tipo p. Por otro lado, han sido fabricados sensores de gas basados en nanohilos individuales de SnO2 mediante un proceso basado en litografía por haz de electrones, sobre micromembranas calefactores suspendidas. El proceso ha sido integrado y adaptado para el tipo de micromembranas, que presentan rugosidades en la superficie. Los dispositivos fabricados han sido caracterizados como sensor de gas y comparados con las redes de nanohilos del mismo material

La valutazione antitrust degli sconti fedeltà nel diritto della concorrenza europeo: alla ricerca di un approccio economico e di una teoria del danno per il consumatore

L’articolo si propone di comprendere in base a quali condizioni sconti fedeltà adottati da un’impresa dominante comportino effetti anticoncorrenziali. Gli schemi fidelizzanti, infatti, sebbene estremamente frequenti nelle transazioni di mercato, qualora applicati da un’impresa dominante, rischiano di essere giudicati illeciti per sé, come comprovato dalla casistica giurisprudenziale finora emersa a livello europeo e dal severo scrutinio riservato delle autorità nazionali della concorrenza. Il lavoro dapprima fornisce una panoramica analitica delle pratiche fidelizzanti, concentrando in particolare l’attenzione sugli sconti retroattivi, ed approfondisce importanti implicazioni economiche, come gli effetti lock-in e suction. Successivamente vengono discusse le novità introdotte dalle linee guida per l’applicazione dell’Art. 102 TFUE, le quali richiedono un’analisi concreta degli effetti di mercato delle condotte escludenti. Alla luce di un estensivo studio dell’as-efficient competitor test, il nuovo approccio della Commissione Europea verso gli sconti fedeltà viene analizzato in dettaglio con riferimento ad un caso antitrust recentemente esaminato a livello europeo (Tomra). In conclusione, viene sviluppato un approccio economico per l’analisi degli effetti, e dunque della legalità, degli schemi fidelizzanti, in conformità con una coerente teoria del danno per il consumatore.L’articolo si propone di comprendere in base a quali condizioni sconti fedeltà adottati da un’impresa dominante comportino effetti anticoncorrenziali. Gli schemi fidelizzanti, infatti, sebbene estremamente frequenti nelle transazioni di mercato, qualora applicati da un’impresa dominante, rischiano di essere giudicati illeciti per sé, come comprovato dalla casistica giurisprudenziale finora emersa a livello europeo e dal severo scrutinio riservato delle autorità nazionali della concorrenza. Il lavoro dapprima fornisce una panoramica analitica delle pratiche fidelizzanti, concentrando in particolare l’attenzione sugli sconti retroattivi, ed approfondisce importanti implicazioni economiche, come gli effetti lock-in e suction. Successivamente vengono discusse le novità introdotte dalle linee guida per l’applicazione dell’Art. 102 TFUE, le quali richiedono un’analisi concreta degli effetti di mercato delle condotte escludenti. Alla luce di un estensivo studio dell’as-efficient competitor test, il nuovo approccio della Commissione Europea verso gli sconti fedeltà viene analizzato in dettaglio con riferimento ad un caso antitrust recentemente esaminato a livello europeo (Tomra). In conclusione, viene sviluppato un approccio economico per l’analisi degli effetti, e dunque della legalità, degli schemi fidelizzanti, in conformità con una coerente teoria del danno per il consumatore.Articles published in or submitted to a Journal without IF refereed / of international relevanc

Estudio, diseño y simulación de un sistema RFID basado en EPC

La tecnología RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) ha experimentado una gran evolución en estos últimos años dentro de los sistemas de identificación automática. Ha ido ocupando espacios donde otros sistemas de identificación, como los códigos de barras, no llegaban y sustituyéndolos en aquellas tareas donde demostraban una mayor eficacia. Esta tecnología comenzó siendo usada para detectar posibles robos en establecimientos y almacenes, usando un solo bit de información. Con el paso del tiempo y la aportación de no pocos investigadores, ha pasado a cumplir finalidades más complejas de modo que ahora ya manejan decenas de Kbytes. Realizan operaciones de pago, se comunican con una red y, a día de hoy, existen un extenso número de aplicaciones que se encuentran en desarrollo por compañías y multinacionales de prestigio que ven en la tecnología RFID una realidad para innovar en su sector o mejorar la eficiencia de éste. Los sistemas RFID se basan en la comunicación, por medio de ondas de radiofrecuencia, entre un transponder o etiqueta y un lector o ser enviada a una red que trate toda la información. No se puede decir que exista una regulación para los sistemas RFID. Actualmente el único modo de ‘controlar’ esta tecnología es aplicando las leyes referentes a la protección de datos, que son lo suficiente restrictivas como para proteger la intimidad de las personas que usen la identificación por radiofrecuencia, pero no se contemplan casos concretos. Otro de los procesos por los que ha pasado la tecnología RFID es el de estandarización. Los diferentes organismos dedicados a diseñar especificaciones para este tipo de sistemas- principalmente ETSI ,ISO y EPCglobal- han conseguido llegar a un consenso gracias a la norma ‘EPC Generation 2’ que unifica los métodos usados pero teniendo en cuenta un rango de frecuencias que sea apto para un sistema global y adaptándose, principalmente , a Europa y EEUU. A la hora de implementar un sistema RFID se deben diseñar multitud de parámetros que deberemos adaptar a la aplicación deseada. Alguno de estos parámetros son la frecuencia, la alimentación del transponder, el rango de alcance, la capacidad de memoria del sistema, su principio físico de operación, etc. Se debe tener en cuenta que, a parte de la información propiamente dicha, se incluyen también sistemas de seguridad y codificación. El proyecto se adentra en el diseño, listo para implementar de un sistema RFID en el rango de frecuencia permitido en Europa (865MHz- 868MHz) usando transponders pasivos, es decir, no requieren el uso de baterías suplementarias. Se trata de un sistema pensado para que el usuario sea capaz de identificar una etiqueta concreta o de leer todas las etiquetas en su rango de alcance. El diseño del lector se basa en el uso del chip de Chipcon CC1000 como transceptor de RF. Las etiquetas usadas en el sistema serán del tipo EPC Clase 1. Estas etiquetas contienen información referente a su código EPC, un password programable y el CRC correspondiente a su código EPC. El diseño del software a alto nivel es otro de los puntos a tener en cuenta, puesto que se deben controlar los procesos de transmisión y recepción de datos, así como la comunicación con el usuario mediante un PC. Finalmente hemos simulado a partir de las especificaciones de las etiquetas EPC Clase 1, las tramas a enviar. Las hemos introducido en el simulador WinIQSim de Rhode&Schwarz y, configurando los parámetros necesarios, hemos conseguido ver los efectos que pueden provocar la propagación multicamino y la existencia de una señal de ruido dentro del área de interrogación

The relationship between common management and ecotourism development: tragedy or triumph of the commons? A Law & Economics answer

Since its origin, ecotourism development has been at the centre of controversial and heated debates within the environmental and scientific society. On one hand, it has been considered as a model of responsible and sustainable tourism with the capacity to guarantee the conservation of the current biodiversity level and cultural identity, to educate the tourists about preservation and to improve the economic activity and the standard of living of the populations affected. On the other hand, it has been criticized for actually being a mere instrument in the hands of capitalist and western firms to commercially exploit the natural resources available in the less developed countries. Thus, are the ecotourism projects more likely to be profitable and successful in territories where the common resources are controlled by the state or managed by private firms? Considered the most frequent and spontaneous solution noticed in the ordinary daily life of the emerging countries, meaning natural resources owned communally by local institutions, does ecotourism impede or reinforce this management function of coordinating and controlling? The empirical researches conducted in literature tried to answer to some of the above-mentioned questions and offered the opportunity for a Law and Economics assessment of the problem related to the common-pool resources

Competition policy, cartel enforcement and leniency program

The present assessment focuses on the antitrust action in detecting and fighting oligopolistic collusion, analyzing the development of the innovative and modern leniency policy. Following the examination of the main conditions and reasons for cartel stability and sustainability, our attempt is to comprehend under which circumstances leniency program represents a functional and successful tool for preventing the formation of anti-competitive agreements

Cartel detection and collusion screening: an empirical analysis of the London Metal Exchange

In order to fight collusive behaviors, the best scenario for competition authorities would be the possibility to analyze detailed information on firms’ costs and prices, being the price-cost margin a robust indicator of market power. However, information on firms’ costs is rarely available. In this context, a fascinating technique to detect data manipulation and rigged prices is offered by an odd phenomenon called Benford’s Law, otherwise known as First-Digit Law, which has been successfully employed to discover the “Libor Scandal” much time before the opening of the cartel settlement procedure. Thus, the main objective of the present paper is to apply a such useful instrument to track the price of the aluminium traded on the London Metal Exchange, following the allegations according to which there would be an aluminium cartel behind. As a result, quick tests such as Benford’s Law can only be helpful to inspect markets where price patterns show signs of collusion. Given the budget constraints to which antitrust watchdogs are commonly subject to, a such price screen could be set up, just exploiting the data available, as warning system to identify cases that require further investigations