The Institute undertakes research on all aspects of regulatory policy. Some of this work is self-initiated and supported from general funds, particularly in areas where broad issues arise that may not, at the time, present themselves as 'problems' to any of the participants in specific regulatory processes. Other projects are initiated by grants or contracts to study a defined aspect of public policy.
The Institute operates a strict 'public domain test' before embarking upon projects: the authors must be able to make the results of any study available to the public or, if not, the study must be for a body with a public service remit (such as a government department, regulatory agency, inter-governmental organisation, charity etc.). Dissemination of research results may be via books, journals, discussion papers, reports, and the publications section of this website.
The Institute welcomes all types of support for its research projects (finance, participation, advice, etc.), at all levels of contribution. Those interested should contact the Managing Director, Julia Gibert, in the first instance.
Peer review of the Australian Energy Market Commission’s assessments of New South Wales retail energy markets
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Assessment of claw-back issues in electricity distribution in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes
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Regulatory risk and the cost of capital in the utilities
Sponsored by Leverhulme Trust
1995-1996
An analysis of the reasoning underlying the cost of capital estimates put forward in the course of regulatory reviews; an examination of the significance, nature, and extent of regulatory risk; an examination of the uses made by UK regulators of cost of capital in the price setting meetings. Desk research …
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Regulation of the beer market
1992-1997
A study of the impact of the 1989/90 Beer Orders and an examination of the brewing industry in a European context, including the effect on competition of the Commission regulation of 1983/84 on exclusive purchase agreements in the brewing industry. Supported by general funds.
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Utilities in the process of systemic transformation
Sponsored by European Commission's ACE Phar
1993-1994
A co-study with the Institute of Economics of the Polish Academy of Science and the University of Munster. The main publications were two books in Polish and one in English. Supported by the European Commission's ACE Phare programme.
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Factors governing the evolution of environmental regulation in Poland
Sponsored by ESRC
1993-1995
The structure and development of Polish environmental regulation, regional case studies, and the environmental issues associated with privatization. Supported by the ESRC.
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Privatization and deregulation in the UK, USA and Japan
Sponsored by Economic Research Institute of
1994-1995
A comparative co-study of the period from the beginning of major deregulation and privatization initiatives until the present, focusing on the telecommunications, airlines, trucking and electric power industries. Papers were published in the Japanese journal Keizai Bunseki and as a book published by Oxford University Press. Sponsored by the Economic …
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Energy and telecoms regulation in transforming economies
Sponsored by European Commission's ACE Phar
1995-1997
A continuation of the project on systemic transformation with research partners Potsdam University and the Centre for Economic Development, Slovakia, and The Charles University in the Czech Republic. Sponsored by the European Commission's ACE Phare programme.
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The regulation of TV broadcasting
Sponsored by ESRC
1995-1997
Public policy, technical change and market structure. The primary purpose of the project is the analysis of the emerging regulatory issues being created by rapidly developing technology and changing competitive structure in the media and the structures, competition and long-term economic performance. The team analysed a number of specific regulatory …
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Better Government Programme
2000
The RPI's Better Government Programme was established to focus on practical proposals for improving accountability and transparency in UK and EU policy and regulatory processes.
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Reverse eAuctions and NHS procurement
Sponsored by Association of British Pharmac
2007
There has for some years now been considerable interest in the use of reverse
eAuctions in the procurement of goods and services by both private and public sector
organisations, and a significant body of international experience has been developed
in the practical application of such auctions. Over the last year or two this …
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Energy and Environmental Policy: the GB experience
Sponsored by Australian Energy Market Commi
2017
An account of the development of GB energy and environmental policies over recent decades.
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