The Regulatory Management in the Energy and Electronic Communications Sectors: Towards Institutional Convergence?

Regulatory authorities in the energy and electronic communications sectors have followed a parallel pattern due to the liberalization process that has interested these two sectors during the last decade in Europe. This article inquires if the observed institutional convergence may be justified by regulatory needs. Based on several critical factors, it is argued, however, that a different institutional design for the two types of regulatory authorities would be a more efficient solution. These findings are then applied to the Italian case, where differences seem to reflect a heavily inefficient institution design.