Abstract

Basically, to design a set of economic rules that are enforceable in an industry producing and delivering a public service, means to apply calculus, rationality and open procedure to this economic and social context. The purpose of all this is to take properly into account the requests by the stakeholders and to fully exploit the current and future potentiality of the technologies enabling the supply of the public service itself. This study identifies a baseline scenario and four amendments deemed useful for a correct appraisal of potentialities and limitations of economic regulation, as well as for an identification of the boundaries: on one side, between this activity and the wider governmental function and, on the other, between the part of the industry delivering the public service to be regulated and the part to be left open to competition and market forces.