Finon, Dominique; Glachant, Jean-Michel --- "Introduction" [2003] ELECD 42; in Glachant, Jean-Michael; Finon, Dominique (eds), "Competition in European Electricity Markets" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2003)

Book Title: Competition in European Electricity Markets

Editor(s): Glachant, Jean-Michael; Finon, Dominique

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781843761785

Section Title: Introduction

Author(s): Finon, Dominique; Glachant, Jean-Michel

Number of pages: 6

Extract:

Introduction
Dominique Finon and Jean-Michel Glachant

The texts published in this book analyse the various ways in which compe-
tition is introduced in electricity industries in Europe. They are papers pre-
sented at the international conference `Electricity in Europe in the 21st
century: what performances and what rules of game?', held at the Paris-
Sorbonne University under the high patronage of the European Com-
mission.1 All the papers were revised and their content updated three times
between November 1998 and May 2002.
The issues of reform in the electricity supply industry (ESI) in Europe
have been on the agenda for a while and remain a high priority among
policy-makers, feeding political debates and controversies between econo-
mists. Some pioneering countries, such as the United Kingdom and the
Scandinavian countries, deregulate their own electricity industries by
themselves; but others define reform in terms of the requirements of
European Union Directive 96/92 on electricity markets. There are consid-
erable differences between the European Commission and some member
states and, as a result, a number of institutional compromises have been
defined in various European countries for implementing regulatory
reforms.
What is the consistency and the viability of the new competition-based
model promoted by the European institutions and a number of govern-
ments? The prevalent institutions and the structures of each ESI have
shaped the types of market-rule, public service regulation and industrial
structure changes that were adopted in each reform. However, the improve-
ment effects of each ...