The European Commission has formally recognised that adequate provision of basic household services, including energy, communications, water and transport, is key to ensuring equity, social cohesion and solidarity. Yet little research has been done on the impact of the reform of these services...

For quite a long time, network industries used to be regarded as (natural) monopolies. This was due to these industries having some special characteristics. Network externalities and economies of scale in particular justified the (natural) monopoly thesis. Recently, however, a trend towards...

Building on a recent groundbreaking OECD/World Bank seminar, this volume explores whether and how trade liberaliaation can contribute to achieving universal service goals and the types of complementary policies required. It focuses on experiences in four sectors: telecommunications, water and...