Platform for debate

Platform businesses bring together distinct but interdependent sets of users in such a way as to improve the welfare of each side of the …

Antitrust and the challenge of regulation for online platforms

Platform businesses bring together distinct but interdependent sets of users in such a way as to improve the welfare of each side of the …

Estonia’s eGovernance: a lesson on efficiency for the EU

In April of last year, the European Commission released the European eGovernment Action Plan 2016-2020 which lines up the goals for the EU’s progress …

The future of EU Cohesion Policy – boosting innovation instead of handouts

During the latest plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions, ECR President Markku Markkula painted a strikingly positive picture of the EU …

The EU should support tech giants, not attack them

The position of the European Union (Brussels) and some economic commentators on technology multinationals should not surprise us. However, it is totally wrong. It …

Roaming without borders

Following the latest European Commission proposal on wholesale roaming surcharges across the EEA, on 5 and 6 April, MEPs will debate on and vote …

Intelligent choices in the present economy: embracing robotization and Artificial Intelligence

A European Parliament resolution calling for EU-wide ethical and safety standards for robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), passed on 16 February, is evidence that …

The Economics of Industry 4.0

Viewed over the sweep of history, concerns about technological unemployment have always proved overblown. Over the last two-hundred years, technology has created more jobs …

What’s next for Europe’s mobile network?

On December 12th, Member States’ Representatives voted to formally adopt the latest European Commission proposal to end roaming charges in the EU by June …

Android and the challenge of platform management

Google Android is usually described as a mobile operating system – the software that links mobile hardware with applications and thus enables users to …

Google’s ‘monopoly’. It’s the market, baby!

The long-standing saga of the European Union’s battle against Google recently saw the addition of a new chapter. A few days ago an open …

Hire Authority

In recent years, smartphone-enabled applications such as Uber have gone a long way to resolve the market imperfections which gave rise to taxi regulation …

Google Shopping: the arguments revisited

The arguments on which the various competition cases against Google are being fought involve core features of economic interaction in multi-sided digital markets. As …

A note on sharing economy platforms, in light of the Uber ruling

The sharing economy is about reducing transaction costs. As Duke University Professor Michael Munger wrote for the IEA last year, such reductions take mainly …

Innovation in regulatory approaches

18 October, 2016
 
The sharing economy and digital platforms
 
An important part of the digital platform revolution is the sharing economy, which …

Innov8 — the hottest conference in Brussels about innovation

Innov8, our conference about innovation in various fields from science & tech to agriculture, took place in Brussels this week and provided a stimulating platform …

Beware the Commission’s rotten Apple ruling

7 September 2016
The European Commission has ordered Ireland to recover €13bn worth of allegedly unpaid taxes from Apple. Reception of the decision has …

The case for the gig economy: better organisation, easier taxation and an open labour market

Eva Forslund // 06.09.2016
 
Uber, Airbnb, and BlaBlaCar – the sharing economy is, although still controversial, well established in Europe. So much so …

Reaping the benefits of the sharing economy

Dominykas Sumskis // 23.08.2016
 
The sharing, or collaborative, economy is a rapidly rising business model which enables exchanges of goods and services through …

The policy implications of the sharing economy

15 June 2016
The emergence of the sharing economy is rapidly changing the way in which goods and services are provided across the EU. …

The EU goes digital (sort of)

01 June 2016
While entrepreneurship and innovation are flourishing across much of the EU’s private sector, public policy has lagged behind most recent technological …

Is Android harming competition in mobile software?

21 April 2016
In sum, the Commission’s Statement of Objections concerning Android is not justified in light of the existing arrangements between Google and …

The Commission’s Android probe draws the wrong lessons from the past

Diego Zuluaga // 18.04.2016
It is expected that the EU’s competition authorities will this week issue Google with a formal charge sheet, known as …

Regulatory inertia is holding back the digital economy in Europe

Diego Zuluaga // 23.03.2016
It is a cliché to observe that digital technology is changing the way we work and interact with each other. …

Regulatory approaches to the sharing economy

18 February 2016
The sharing economy is based on reductions in transaction costs which enable exchanges that were previously not possible. Sharing economy firms …

Why regulating online platforms is a bad idea

Diego Zuluaga // 21.12.2015
Today, EPICENTER releases its latest briefing, on the economics and regulation of online platforms. The prospect of regulatory intervention into …

Understanding online platforms

21 December 2015
While platforms can operate online and offline, the internet has created new opportunities to lower transaction costs by linking users. Recently, …

Online platforms and the bad economics of politicians

EurActiv reports that the Italian Parliament is scheduled to vote on legislation which would regulate online platforms. The measure has been proposed by a …

A breath of fresh air in digital competition policy

Diego Zuluaga // 27.10.2015
Let’s say it loud and clear: There is hope for EU competition policy! After months of negative headlines and high-profile …

Position: Digital Single Market proposals

15 June 2015
 
The digital revolution is increasingly making barriers to access, trade and innovation obsolete. Remaining obstacles to more efficient exchange of …

Net freedom instead of net neutrality for a successful digital market

 
Cécile Philippe, June 2015
 
The Digital Single Market (DSM) strategy for Europe includes several initiatives to be delivered by the end of …

La politique de concurrence dans l’économie numérique

1 mai 2015
 
À la lumière des affaires récentes dans le secteur numérique, la politique de concurrence doit changer. Les chiffres portant sur …

La politique de concurrence dans l'économie numérique

1 mai 2015
 
À la lumière des affaires récentes dans le secteur numérique, la politique de concurrence doit changer. Les chiffres portant sur …

Competition policy in the digital economy

 
17 April 2015
 
In light of recent cases in the digital sector, competition policy needs to change. Market share figures tend to …

Position sur le “dégroupage” des moteurs de recherche

 
20 avril 2015
 
Le « dégroupage » réduirait sévèrement la capacité des moteurs de recherche à innover, tout en augmentant également les …

Position sur le "dégroupage" des moteurs de recherche

 
20 avril 2015
 
Le « dégroupage » réduirait sévèrement la capacité des moteurs de recherche à innover, tout en augmentant également les …

"Unbundling" search engines

26 November 2014
 
Given the lack of evidence of anti-competitive behaviour in the search engine market, action by the European Commission is unjustified. …

“Unbundling” search engines

26 November 2014
 
Given the lack of evidence of anti-competitive behaviour in the search engine market, action by the European Commission is unjustified. …

Against government planning over the airwaves: a free-market approach to spectrum management

 
Massimiliano Trovato, Istituto Bruno Leoni, October 2014
 
The development of television and mobile communications in the coming years will depend on the …

Taxation and the Digital Economy

Massimiliano Trovato, October 2014
 
It is widely acknowledged that Europe lags behind when it comes to digital entrepreneurship. The largest players in the …

The Green Bubble: How good intentions led to giddy speculation

 
Per Wimmer, Timbro, June 2014
 
We need clean energy if we are to meet the world’s growing energy needs while avoiding an …

A Human Challenge: Environment, growth and the future of our planet

 
Niklas Elert, Timbro, May 2014
 
Economic growth is not necessarily bad for the environment. On the contrary, a richer world is in …

Liberal voices. A response to the EC public consultation on sustainable buildings

 
Lithuanian Free Market Institute, November 2013
 
The European Commission wants to gather views and additional information on the possible introduction of EU …

Liberal voices. A response to the EC public consultation on the 2030 framework for climate and energy policies

 
Lithuanian Free Market Institute, November 2013
 
The EU has a clear framework to steer its energy and climate policies up to 2020.The …

The Dream of Alexandria: The dilemma of digital distribution

 
Per Strömbäck, Timbro, August 2013
 
Digitalisation carries a promise of growth, jobs and culture to all, but ironically, it is by and …

Google and antitrust – no evidence found

 
Massimiliano Trovato, Istituto Bruno Leoni, January 2013
 
The decision by the American antitrust regulator to acquit Google from charges of manipulating its …

The scrapping of the telecoms network

 
Massimiliano Trovato, Istituto Bruno Leoni, October 2012
 
The break-up of the Telecom Italia network, while positive from a market competition perspective, could …

The ‘Google affair’ and the future of the internet

 
Massimiliano Trovato, Istituto Bruno Leoni, September 2009
 
Can the supply of material on the web be regulated? How to take action on …