Many studies on institutions within an infrastructure (here mainly in the field of education) have shown that these have a positive and stimulating impact on regional economy. Comparable surveys on the social infrastructure, particularly of facilities for the furtherance, welfare and care of the...

The key topic of this paper is to explain the above average increase of local waste charges in Germany, in addition the special importance of local within national environmental policies. The jump of waste charges, especially since 1990, has originated in the changed institutional setting of...

The function of communal water supply utilities is to provide consumers with high quality drinking water in sufficient quantities. On the other hand communal wastewater disposal utilities have to dispose the wastewater. In addition to this water prices and wastewater charges shall also give...

Health care systems in developed countries worldwide are not only faced with costs of new medical technologies but they are also faced with growing propor-tions of elderly people who by far induce largest demands of health services. Spending on health care is now up to 10% or more of gross...