5th Conference on the Regulation of Infrastructures: The challenges of digitalization and the use of data

The de- and re-regulation of the different network industries is an ongoing process at national and global levels. As this process unfolds, ever new phenomena emerge. Yet, the question about the right mixture between market, economic, technical and social regulation remains wide open in all the network industries.

Download the Programme, the Collection of the Abstracts and the dedicated issue of the Network Industries Quarterly 

The de- and re-regulation of the different network industries is an ongoing process at national and global levels. As this process unfolds, ever new phenomena emerge. Yet, the question about the right mixture between market, economic, technical and social regulation remains wide open in all the network industries.

The question becomes even more challenging when looking at recent infrastructure development as triggered by their pervasive digitalization. Not only are the different infrastructures transformed by their digitalization – e.g., digital transport, smart energy, etc. – calling for new approaches to regulating them, but moreover does digitalization become a phenomenon in its own right. The European Commission actually sees digitalization as a means to accelerate integration, to tear down regulatory walls and to move  from 28 national markets to a single one. Consequently, digitalization and especially its implications in terms of privacy and security also require regulatory attention.

This 5^th Florence Conference on the Regulation of Infrastructures aims at taking stock of the major challenges infrastructure regulation is currently facing in the age of their rapid digitalization. It does so by:

• looking at the main infrastructure sectors, notably telecommunications, postal services, electricity, gas, railways, air transport, urban public transport, as well as water distribution and sanitation; growing intermodality among infrastructures, notably as a result of their digitalization;
• looking at infrastructure and their regulation from various disciplinary approaches, notably engineering, economics, law and political science along with interdisciplinary approaches are particularly encouraged; and
• linking an academic approach with practical relevance; policy relevant research papers are again particularly encouraged.

Finally, we especially welcome papers that link technology and institutions in more than one infrastructure sector, as to allow comparisons and highlight cross-sectoral trends. Interested junior academics – advanced PhD students, PostDocs and Assistant Professors – along with academically minded practitioners are particularly encouraged to participate.

Unique Conference Format

Following the successful experience of the 4^th edition, the format of the Florence Conference on the Regulation of Infrastructures is unique:

• each presenter has 45’, which includes 20’ of presentation, 10’ of qualified feedback and 15’ of discussion with the audience (there are only 2 papers per session, guaranteeing high quality);
• feedback will be given by senior professors associated with the Florence School of Regulation, who are specifically knowledgeable about the topic at hand;
• papers that will be retained for publication will receive additional feedback beyond the Conference.

Scientific Committee

• Prof Matthias Finger (Director of the Transport Area of FSR)
• Prof Jean-Michel Glachant (Director of the Energy&Climate Area of FSR)
• Prof Leigh Hancher (FSR Energy&Climate – Director for Energy Law and Policy)
• Prof Xavier Labandeira (FSR Energy&Climate – Director for Climate)
• Prof Pier Luigi Parcu (Director of the Communications and Media Area of FSR)
• Prof Ignacio Pérez Arriaga (FSR Energy&Climate – Director for Energy Training)
• Prof Stéphane Saussier (Director of the Water Area of FSR)

Organized by the Florence School of Regulation (European University Institute), in collaboration with:

DOWNLOAD

Final Programme

Collection of the Abstracts

Dedicated issue of the Network Industries Quarterly

List of selected authors and titles of their papers (* presenting author)

COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

• Moyakine, Evgeni “Data Protection Code of Conduct for Cloud Service Providers and the Right to Data Protection: Effectiveness of the Self-Regulatory Instrument and Its Future”
• Parcu, Pier Luigi; Rossi, Maria Alessandra “The paradox of setting targets – The case of NGN deployment in Europe”

ENERGY

• Butenko, Anna “User-centered innovation and regulatory framework: energy prosumers’ market access in EU regulation”
• Daly, Angela “Energy prosumers and infrastructure regulation: some initial observations from Australia”

TRANSPORT

• Cruz, Carlos; Sarmento, Joaquim* “Institutional “tetris” in infrastructure regulation: Harmonizing governance, regulation and policy-making in the transport sector”
• Carlan, Valentin, Vaneslander, Thierry; Sys, Christa*; Roumboutsos, Athena “Digital Innovations in the Port Sector: Barriers and Facilitators”

WATER

• Guerrini, Andrea; Romano, Giulia; Moggi, Sara*; Leardini, Chiara* “Factors affecting service quality of water utilities”
• Mayol, Alexandre; Porcher, Simon* “Social and nonlinear tariffs in safe water in France : cui bono ? An empirical study applied on a natural experiment in Dunkerque (France)”

CROSS-SECTOR

• Batura, Olga “Interface between competition law and personal data: challenges and possibilities”
• Diestelmeier, Lea*; Kuiken, Dirk “Access to smart electricity systems for final customers”