Infrastructures: Time to Invest (Sand)

✍ Scribed by Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy

• Publisher: Amsterdam University Press
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 225
• Edition: Bilingual
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

All sectors of the Dutch infrastructures have undergone a degree of commercialisation, liberalisation or privatisation over the last ten to twenty years.  Where in the past the infrastructure landscape was dominated by public monopolies, the ownership and management of infrastructures is today shared by several public and private sector players.  The original goals of this 'regime change' have in many cases been achieved: greater efficiency, a greater focus on the customer and more choice for consumers.The question is whether this emphasis on current consumer interests allows enough scope to achieve long-term objectives which affect the whole of our society: innovation, long-term availability and sustainability of infrastructures.  This is of crucial importance for economic and social development, which is coming under increasing pressure due to the combined impact of the exhaustion of natural resources and climate change.The transition to a sustainable future demands substantial investment in infrastructures, which cannot be taken for granted in the present situation.  The WRR has investigated how these investments could be safeguarded in the long term, whilst retaining the efficiency of the infrastructures.

✦ Table of Contents

contents......Page 8
inleiding......Page 12
infrastructuren in de schijnwerpers......Page 13
regimeverandering in infrastructuren......Page 15
efficiëntie en publieke waarden......Page 19
de noodzaak van investeringen......Page 20
uitdagingen voor de toekomst......Page 21
de europese dimensie......Page 23
een strategische heroriëntatie......Page 25
nieuwe rollen......Page 26
nieuwe verbindingen......Page 28
nieuwe checks and balances......Page 30
tot slot......Page 33
executive summary......Page 36
preface......Page 48
1.1.1 the vital (but often neglected) role of infrastructures......Page 50
1.2 regime change in infrastructures......Page 52
1.2.1 five modes of regime change......Page 53
1.2.2 two stages of regime change: type i and type ii market failures......Page 54
1.2.3 the changing interaction between the public and the private......Page 55
1.3 the fundamental dilemma – the mission paradox?......Page 56
1.3.1 definition of the problem......Page 57
1.4 investment in infrastructures – a necessary focus......Page 58
1.4.1 critical investment decisions......Page 59
1.4.2 a sector-wide focus on investment......Page 60
1.4.3 public values......Page 62
1.5.1 technological change......Page 63
1.5.2 new sources of investment gaining ground and diminishing public ownership/control......Page 64
1.5.4 the european dimension......Page 65
1.6 approach......Page 66
1.7 conclusion......Page 68
2.2 the role of infrastructures......Page 72
2.3 the specifics of investment in infrastructures......Page 74
2.4 regime change: an incomplete process......Page 75
2.5.1 liberalisation......Page 78
2.5.3 unbundling......Page 79
2.6 continuous regime change and hybrid arrangements......Page 80
2.6.1 intended and unintended consequences......Page 82
2.6.2 direct and indirect consequences......Page 83
2.7 function and governance......Page 84
2.8 results of regime change: numerous and heterogeneous actors and multi-levels......Page 85
2.9 conclusion......Page 86
3.1.1 regime change: rival actors, multiple principals and splintered arenas......Page 90
3.2 splintered arenas......Page 92
3.3 new actors......Page 94
3.4 multiple principals and multiple agents......Page 96
3.5.1 hybrid organisations......Page 97
3.5.2 public private partnerships......Page 98
3.5.3 key observations with regard to hybrids......Page 99
3.5.4 changing role of government in multiple actor/multiple principal settings......Page 101
3.6 conclusion......Page 103
4.1 introduction......Page 106
4.2 functional internationalisation of infrastructures......Page 107
4.3.1 internal market-related policies......Page 109
4.3.2 trans-european networks (tens)......Page 110
4.4 the eu constraining investment decisions in infrastructures......Page 112
4.5.1 introduction......Page 115
4.5.2 different types and developments......Page 116
4.5.3 accountability issues......Page 119
4.6 conclusion......Page 120
5.1 introduction......Page 124
5.2.2 the debate in the early stages of regime change......Page 125
5.2.4 the dynamics of public values......Page 127
5.3 institutional arrangements to realise public values......Page 129
5.3.1 independent economic regulation and public values......Page 130
5.3.2 contracts and concessions and public values......Page 132
5.3.3 self-regulation and public values......Page 133
5.3.4 concluding remarks: the need for review of the initial responses......Page 134
5.4.1 review of the independent regulator......Page 135
5.4.2 bringing the state back in......Page 137
5.4.3 two options combined......Page 138
5.5 conclusion......Page 139
6.1 introduction......Page 142
6.2 energy infrastructure and public values......Page 143
6.3.1 the past......Page 144
6.3.2 regime change: new primary actors, new interest groups......Page 146
6.3.3 regime change: policy, public values and supervision......Page 147
6.3.4 regime change: new markets and new transactions......Page 149
6.4.1 regulation of tariffs and networks investment......Page 152
6.5.1 changing supply patterns......Page 154
6.5.2 the challenge of climate change......Page 155
6.6.2 conflicting policy and regulatory objectives......Page 156
6.6.3 underground storage systems and transport: where natural gas and carbon meet......Page 159
6.6.4 the development of co2 sequestration facilities......Page 162
6.7 experiences from abroad: australia......Page 166
6.8 conclusion......Page 169
7.1 introduction – the challenges ahead......Page 176
7.2 regime change......Page 177
7.2.1 the changing role of government under regime change......Page 178
7.2.2 regime change: from a ‘type i’ to a ‘type ii’-strategy......Page 179
7.3 public values in infrastructures......Page 180
7.4.1 heterogeneous actors and multiple levels......Page 181
7.4.2 distrust and uncertainty, risks and rewards......Page 182
7.4.3 investment and its functions......Page 183
7.4.4 different effects in different infrastructures......Page 184
7.6 pillar i: defining and redefining roles and responsibilities......Page 186
7.6.1 the role of government......Page 187
7.6.3 the role of independent regulators......Page 188
7.6.4 new roles for regulators?......Page 189
7.6.5 new roles in system coordination......Page 190
7.6.6 avoiding blurring of roles and interests......Page 191
7.7.1 joined-up action at the political level......Page 192
7.7.2 joined-up action at the regulatory level......Page 193
7.7.5 learning from brussels?......Page 194
7.8 pillar iii – recalibrating checks and balances......Page 195
7.8.1 a national super fund for infrastructures?......Page 196
7.8.2 strategic public shareholdings......Page 197
7.8.3 procedural checks and balances......Page 198
7.9 time to invest......Page 199
annex characteristics of the physical infrastructures: an indicative inventory......Page 202
abbreviations......Page 206
bibliography......Page 210