Skip to main content
Log in

European water infrastructures: Regulatory flux void of reference?

The cases of Germany, France, and England and Wales

  • Water Supply Industry
  • Published:
Intereconomics

Abstract

This article outlines the structure of, and the challenges facing, the water industries in several European countries and describes their respective experiences with technocratic infrastructure management, delegated supervision of private concessions, and price-cap regulation. It then addresses common concerns related to operating efficiency and pricing to point to the dearth of comparable data, which limits meaningful benchmarking of productivity and infrastructure conditions, thwarts regulatory and managerial supervision and hampers the identification of some global norms. Attaining that reference calls for an independent, central body able to shed light on national performance and stakeholder interests.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. I. Shiklomanov: World Water Resources, St. Petersburg 1999; United Nations: World Freshwater Resources, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  2. J. Briscoe: The German Water and Sewage Sector, World Bank Report, February 1995; R. Boscheck: The Nature of Regulatory Contracts—the Case of the Water Industry in England and Wales, IMD Working Paper, Lausanne 2000.

  3. See H.R. Imhoff: Deutscher Gewässerschutz im europäischen Umfeld, in: GWA 6/94, pp. 428–433. For annual investment estimates see M. Schmitz: Abwasser: Quo Vadis Deutschland?, in: Umwelt Technologie Aktuell 1/98, p. 4–12. For an age profile of the German water infrastructure see ATV-Information, Zahlen zur Abwasser-& Abfallwirtschaft, Hennef 1996, p.8.

  4. EUREAU: Water Management Systems in the EU Member States in 1996, Brussels 1997.

  5. See H.P. Klein: Welche Organisationsstruktur ist zukunftstauglich?, in: Kommunalmagazin 4/2000, pp. 11–14.

  6. B. Barraque: Europäische Antwort auf John Briscoe's Bewertung der deutschen Wasserwirtschaft, in: gwf-Wasser/Abwasser 6/98, pp. 360–366, here p. 360.

  7. J. Briscoe, op. cit. The German Water and Sewage Sector, World Bank Report, February 1995;

  8. D. Haarmeyer: Privatizing Infrastructure: Options for Municipal Water Supply Systems, 1992, http://www.rppi.org/ps151.html

  9. Cour des Comptes: La gestion des services publics locaux d'eau et d'assainissement, Rapport Public Particulier, January 1997.

  10. “Profit Stream”, in: The Economist, March 29, 1997, pp.70.

  11. For an overview see D. Helm, T. Jenkinson: Introducing Competition into Regulated Industries, in: D. Helm, T. Jenkinson (eds.): Competition in Regulated Industries, Oxford 1998, Oxford University Press, pp 1–22.

    Google Scholar 

  12. See National Economic Research Associates: Incentives & Commitment in RPI-X Regulation, London 1998; F. Neto: Water privatization & regulation in England & Wales, in: Natural Resource Forum, Vol. 22, No.2, 1998, pp. 107–117.

  13. J. Kay: The Future of UK Utility Regulation, in: M.E. Beesley (ed.): Regulating Utilities, London 1996, IEA.

  14. For earlier but rather similar discussion see J.M. Keynes: Liberalism and Industry, in: J.M. Keynes: Collected Writings, Vol. XIX, 1927, pp. 644–646; I. Bussing: Public Utility Regulation and the So-called Sliding Scale, New York 1936, Columbia University Press.

  15. Water Industry Act 1991, restated in National Audit Office: The Work of the Directors General, 1996, p. 226.

  16. see S. Ogden: Corporate Governance in the Privatized Utilities, in: K. Keasey et al. (eds.): Corporate Governance, Oxford 1997, Oxford University Press, pp. 252–278.

    Google Scholar 

  17. See R. Boscheck: Asset Mutualisation & Governance—the Case of Dwr Cymru, IMD Working Paper, Lausanne 2002.

  18. M2Press WIRE, 10/11/2000, at http://www.presswire.net.

  19. As, for example, in the cases of Portsmouth Water, AWG (owner of Anglian water) or Mid Kent Water.

  20. A. Taylor: Water Regulator to Allow Funding From Debt, in: Financial Times, November 28, 2001.

  21. J. Briscoe, op. cit., The German Water and Sewage Sector, World Bank Report, February 1995; see U. Linden: Stellungname zur Veröffentlichung von J. Briscoe “Der Sektor Wasser & Abwasser in Deutschland”, in: gwf- Wasser/Abwasser 1/96, pp. 41–42 (Dip. Ing. Udo Linden is Member of the Board of Gelsenwasser AG); see also B. Barraque, op. cit. Euroäische Autwort auf John Briscoe's Bewertung der deutschen Wasserwirtschaft, in: gwf-Wasser/Abwasser 6/98, pp. 360–366, here p. 360.

  22. See D. Haarmeyer, op. cit. Privatizing Infrastructure: Options for Municipal Water Supply Systems, 1992, http://www.rppi.org/ps151.html

  23. A. Lambert, W. Hirner: Losses from Water Supply Systems—Standard Terminology and Recommended Performance Measures, The Blue Pages, IWA, October 2000, pp. 1–13.

  24. With 80% fixed costs, U. Linden, op. cit. Stellungname zur Veröffentlichung von J. Briscoe “Der Sektor Wasser & Abwasser in Deutschland”, in: gwf- Wasser/Abwasser 1/96, M. Schmitz, op. cit. Abwasser: Quo Vadis Deutschland?, in: Umwelt Technologie Aktuell 1/98, p. 4–12 B. Barraque, op. cit. Europäische Antwort auf John Briscoe's Bewertung der deutschen Wasserwirtschaft, in: gwf-Wasser/Abwasser 6/98, See also J.C.V. Pezzey, G.A. Mill: A review of tariffs for public water supply, Environmental Agency, UK 1998.

  25. D. Hall, E. Lobina: Employment and profit margins in UK water companies: Implications for price regulation proposals. Public Services International Research Unit, November 1999.

  26. ecologic: Vergleich der Trinkwasserpreise im europäischen Rahmen, Forschungsbericht 29621427, 1998.

  27. World Bank: Water Resource Management, Washington, D.C. 1993; see also World Bank: Water Allocation Mechanisms, Washington, D.C. 1997.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Boscheck, R. European water infrastructures: Regulatory flux void of reference?. Intereconomics 37, 138–149 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02928873

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02928873

Keywords

Navigation