Regulatory Independence in Theory and Practice - a Survey of Independent Energy Regulators

Market liberalisations have led to the emergence of a new type of organisa-tion named independent regulatory authorities. The purpose of the present paper is to discuss the central dimensions of this independence within the realm of energy markets, and to describe, compare and contrast the organ-isational bodies in the eight European countries included in the analysis. This is relevant in order to understand to what extent this new type of regu-latory bodies can be seen as independent. The paper is aimed at people with an interest in the regulation of former public utilities – within the realm of energy, gas and telecom markets – which are liberalised and made subject to competition