INTERECONOMICS, Vol 48, No. 3· May/June 2013
Forum: The Regulation of Water Services in the EU
With articles by Ralf Boscheck, Judith C. Clifton, Daniel Diaz-Fuentes, Mark Oelmann, Christoph Czichy, Monica Alessi, Sébastian Treyer, Janet Wright, Martin Cave
The European Commission’s proposal for a Directive on the award of concession contracts has sparked vigorous public debate and intense opposition. This Directive is controversial because of the nature of the policy it proposes and because the sectors involved are highly sensitive. This Forum examines the weaknesses of the Commission’s proposal and presents an overview of the current issues in water regulation and the provision of water services. The authors analyse the regulation of natural monopolies, water efficiency and upstream competition in the water industry.
Editorial: The Cypriot Precedent
By Diego Valiante
The Cyprus case has been considered as a barometer of the willingness of member states to liquidate insolvent banks and limit taxpayer-funded direct bailouts of banks. Notwithstanding the validity of such an objective, dangerous market processes have already been set in motion. Cyprus epitomises the toxic intertwining of banks and governments, which are reflected in the weaknesses of the current economic governance of the area.
Letter from America: The Economic Consequences of the Proposed Immigration Reform
By Giovanni Peri
The immigration reform proposal, currently under discussion and known as “The Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013”, could become the most important piece of legislation on immigration of the last fifty years. The proposal addresses most of the relevant issues plaguing the US immigration system. It deals with the problem of undocumented immigrants. It reduces some of the inflexibilities on labor immigrants, and it relaxes the quotas both for less skilled and more skilled labor immigration.