‘Utility regulation is now a major activity in Europe and is constantly changing as regulators, regulatees and governments interact. Coen and Héritier have produced a text that will be very helpful to regulatory specialists and to students in showing how and why regulatory structures have developed in the energy, telecommunications and rail industries in the UK and Germany.’ – Colin Robinson, University of Surrey, UK

Regulation is on the rise across the world as the state steps back from public ownership. However, as the authors highlight, the style of political delegation to regulatory authorities has not followed a uniform trajectory but rather institutional endowments, administrative traditions, market structure and business culture have all influenced the creation of regulatory authorities and implementation styles. Noting these variances, the focus of this book is to consider the impact of liberalisation and the introduction of new regulatory structures on three utility sectors – telecommunications, energy and the railways – using Germany and the UK as case studies.