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Competitio

Vol. 7 No. 1 (2008)
Papers

An analysis of services for general economic purposes and universal services in the European Union

Published:
2008-06-16
DOI Linkhttps://doi.org/10.21845/comp/2008/1/3
Author
Eva Sztanko
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How To Cite
Selected Style: APA
Sztanko, E. (2008). An analysis of services for general economic purposes and universal services in the European Union. Competitio, 7(1), 49-66. https://doi.org/10.21845/comp/2008/1/3
Abstract

A topic in the focus on debates on the European social model has been to define the future role of Services of General Economic Interest (SGEI). The European Commission launched a widespread public discussion on the public utility related objectives of SGEI, their impacts on the quality of life, on the environment and on the competitiveness of European firms, as well as on ways of organising and financing these services. This discussion has received an important input from rulings of the European Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance in cases on Services of General Economic Interest. Although these court rulings lacked consistency in some cases, they still helped to obtain more accurate definitions of SGEI. Most member countries of the EU have started to elaborate the concept of universal services, but there are still serious loopholes in the field of monitoring, control, quality management and in terms of financing. To sum up, the EU member country level practice of universal services in the energy sector is still in the first phase of realisation.

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