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Swiss Economics advises Commission for Aviation Regulation on the efficient level of capital costs for Dublin Airport

Our report reflects that financial markets are currently undergoing exceptional times. Real government bond yields have fallen to a historically low level in the past couple of years, suggesting that the real expected return from risk-free assets is currently negative. Traditional approaches to estimating the cost of capital may fail to adequately capture the peculiarities of this new market environment. Hence, we assessed whether the ECB’s recent halt of quantitative easing is likely to have a significant effect on the market and analysed whether financial markets expect bond yields to rise again in the near future. Also, we considered evidence that expectations on equity returns may be more stable over time than underlying risk premia, indicating a so-called Total Market Return approach may be preferred over the traditional Equity Risk Premium approach to estimate the cost of equity.

The full report can be downloaded from the Commission for Aviation Regulation’s website.

Contribution to the 1st Annual Conference on Competition and Regulation in Network Industries

Christian Jaag and Urs Trinkner presented their paper.

Christian Jaag and Urs Trinkner presented their paper «Regulation in Network Industries: Theory and Practice» at the 1st Annual Conference on Competition and Regulation in Network Industries.

Presentation on the Cost of Universal Service Provision in the Postal Sector

A presentation by Christian Jaag.

At the 1st European Postal Benchmarking Workshop on Regulatory and Legal Affairs in Brussels, Christian Jaag has given a presentation on «Calculating the Net Cost of the USO».

Impact of VAT-Exemptions in the Postal Sector on Competition and Welfare

A new publication written by Swiss Economics.

The research article «Impact of VAT-Exemptions in the Postal Sector on Competition and Welfare» by Swiss Economics and researchers from the University of Zurich shows how service providers exempted from the obligation to pay a value-added tax are favoured in competition. Further, this unequal treatment substantially affects outsourcing decisions and the labour market.

Helmut Dietl, Christian Jaag, Markus Lang, Martin Lutzenberger and Urs Trinkner (2011). «Impact of VAT-Exemptions in the Postal Sector on Competition and Welfare». In Reinventing the Postal Sector in an Electronic Age. Edited by M. Crew and P.R. Kleindorfer, Edward Elgar, pp. 267-280.

Published in the same book: Maegli Martin, Christian Jaag, Martin Koller and Urs Trinkner (2011). «Postal Markets and Electronic Substitution: Implications for Regulatory Practices and Institutions in Europe». In Reinventing the Postal Sector in an Electronic Age. Edited by M. Crew and P.R. Kleindorfer, Edward Elgar, pp. 109-122.

New research published

An article by Christian Jaag and Urs Trinkner has been published in  the Journal of Regulatory Economics.

The research article «The interaction between universal service costing and financing in the postal sector: a calibrated approach» by Christian Jaag and Urs Trinkner has been published in the Journal of Regulatory Economics.

To the document

Presentation at the DG MARKT economic seminar

Christian Jaag gave a presentation on «Yet another case of unintended consequences: VAT exemption and the public interest» at the DG MARKT economic seminar.

The presentation illustrates the distortive effects of VAT exemptions on competition in a newly liberalized industry and how they can be included in the calculation of the net cost of universal service obligations.

Presentation at the 2010 Conference on Competition and Regulation in Network Industries

Swiss Economics presented the paper «An Economic Framework to Understand and Assess Regulations in Network Industries».

Swiss Economics presented the paper «An Economic Framework to Understand and Assess Regulations in Network Industries» at the 2010 Conference on Competition and Regulation in Network Industries.

In addition to a theoretical framework, he also presented two applications: Liberalization in network industries and the development of regulation in the postal sector.

New staff member

Swiss Economics welcomes Oliver Fürst as a new staff member!

Oliver Fürst holds a Master of Arts in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Zurich. At Swiss Economics he works as a consultant for strategy and regulation in network industries.

Presentations at the Conference on Trends and Innovation for the Postal Market

Swiss Economics contributed three new research papers to the Conference on Trends and Innovation for the Postal Market.

Post Office Network Realignments and their Impact on Innovation
To the presentation

Postal Regulation, Declining Mail Volumes, and the Transformation of Business Models?
To the presentation

Postal markets and electronic substitution: What is the impact of intermodal competition on regulatory practices and institutions? The paper has received the «best paper award».
To the document

Presentations at the 18th Conference on Postal and Delivery Economics

Swiss Economics contributed with three presentations to the 18th Conference on Postal and Delivery Economics.

  • Impact of VAT-Exemptions in the Postal Sector on Competition and Welfare
  • Postal Markets and Electronic Substitution: What is the Impact of Convergence on Regulatory Practices and Institutions?
  • Practical Approaches to USO Costing and Financing
Presentation on the Future of Universal Services in the Postal Sector

A presentation by Urs Trinkner.

At the «IPC Senior Executive Forum on Regulation» Urs Trinkner has given a presentation on «Shaping the USO? An Outline of Thought from an Economic Perspective».

Presentation on Price Regulation in Postal Markets

A presentation by Christian Jaag.

At the 42nd Freiburger Verkehrsseminar, Christian Jaag gave a presentation on «Preisobergrenzen in liberalisierten Postmärkten» (in German).