Independent regulatory authorities are a basic prerequisite for a successful liberalization process. However, contrary to what is expected, both graphical analyses and OLS regressions for a small sample of electricity and gas regulators operating in 16 European countries reveal a negative...

The paper focuses on the process of liberalization of the electricity market and its functioning in the EU. The European electricity market is in the middle of its transformation from a monopolistic state-owned production and distribution to privatized markets with various competing firms. The...