Legislative reforms and market dynamics in the provision of urban water service by private contract operators in Spain

Daniel Albalate, Germà Bel, Francisco González-Gómez and Andres Picazo-Tadeo

Utilities Policy, 2022, vol. 74, issue C

Abstract: This paper studies the dynamics of concentration in the Spanish market for the provision of urban water service by private contract operators in the 2000–2020 period. The market is highly concentrated. Concentration increased until 2007, at which point it started to decline when Law 30/2007 on Public Sector Contracts and Organic Law 8/2007 on Political Party Financing were passed; before rising again from 2016 onwards. This latter trend results from strategic behaviour by the two leading operators, acquiring smaller companies with a notable presence in some regional markets. Further legislative reforms aimed at safeguarding space for competition are thus proposed.

Keywords: Corporate operations; Legislative reforms; Market concentration; Spain; Urban water service (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D49 G18 L33 L95 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:juipol:v:74:y:2022:i:c:s0957178721001363

DOI: 10.1016/j.jup.2021.101302

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