Memoria final de actividades del Programa de Acción Tutorial de la Licenciatura de Derecho de la Universidad de Barcelona, curso académico 2007-2008

Documento aprobado por el Consejo de Estudios de la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad de Barcelona en acta fechada el 10 de marzo de 2009

Netzmonopole in der Elektrizitätswirtschaft und Wettbewerb

Bei der Stromversorgung handelte es sich bis zu seiner Liberalisierung 1998 um einen Wirtschaftszweig, der von Gebietsmonopolen auf allen Versorgungsstufen geprägt war. Diese Monopole gründeten im Wesentlichen auf dem natürlichen Monopol des Stromnetzes sowie auf der Bedeutung der Stromversorgung. Auch nach der Liberalisierung ist der Markt noch immer durch die etablierten ehemaligen Gebietsversorger geprägt, die nach wie vor über die Netze verfügen und zudem untereinander und mit der Politik gut vernetzt sind. Damit über das weiterhin bestehende natürliche Monopol bei den Stromnetzen keine wettbewerbswidrigen Interessen verfolgt werden können, bedarf die Transformation der Elektrizitätsversorgung in einen vorwiegend vom Wettbewerb geprägten Markt einiger Anpassungen. Einige Interessenskonflikte können bereits gelöst werden, indem die Marktstruktur an die neuen Bedingungen angepasst wird. Zum einen bedarf es einer Netzzugangsregelung, die dem Netzbetreiber möglichst geringe Missbrauchsmöglichkeiten offen lässt. Damit der Netzbetreiber überdies keine Interessen aus Aktivitäten in wettbewerbsgeprägten Märkten zulasten der Netznutzer verfolgt, ist zumindest der Betrieb des Netzes auf eigentumsrechtlich unabhängige Netzbetreiber zu übertragen. Diese Entflechtungsform sollte scheinbar bequemeren Lösungen, die sich leichter umsetzen lassen, vorgezogen werden. Auf lange Sicht werden die damit verbundenen höheren Regulierungskosten die Markttransformationskosten weit übersteigen. Das Problem des natürlichen Monopols beim Netz bedarf trotz allem einer dauernden Regulierung. Hier empfiehlt sich eine weitreichende ex-ante-Regulierung, in die auch Kriterien einfließen sollten, die den Netzbetreiber zu einem stabilen und sicheren Betrieb des Netzes veranlassen. Infolgedessen dürfte der Bedarf an einer ex-post-Kontrolle durch die Regulierungsinstitution entsprechend gering ausfallen. Die Regulierungsinstitution sollte hierbei nicht auf einige wenige Regulierungsinstrumente festgelegt werden. Die Gefahr der Anmaßung von Wissen, der Regulierungsinstitutionen wegen ihrer im Vergleich zu den Marktteilnehmern größeren Marktferne ausgesetzt sind, lässt sich durch die Akteursbeteiligung in der Regulierungsinstitution verringern: Die Akteure könnten innerhalb eines vorgegebenen Rahmens die Ausgestaltung der Netznutzungsregeln weitestgehend selbst bestimmen, die Aushandelungsmodalitäten hierfür müssen allerdings präzise festgelegt und die getroffenen Regelungen für alle Marktteilnehmer verbindlich sein. Diese Mischform zwischen staatlicher Rahmensetzung und Selbstregulierung nutzt die Regelungspotentiale des Staates und die Selbstorganisationsmöglichkeiten der relevanten Akteure gleichermaßen. Durch die Besetzung der Regulierungsinstitution mit Vertretern der relevanten Akteure wird zudem ein großes Maß an spezifischem Branchenwissen in sie hineingetragen, insbesondere da die vertikal integrierten Elektrizitätsversorgungsunternehmen nach der eigentumsrechtlichen Entflechtung zumindest noch anfangs über einen großen Teil der Informationen über den Netzbetrieb verfügen. Damit wäre das Informationsproblem, das staatlichen Regulierungsstellen anhaftet, geringer. Durch die Interessenlage der Mitglieder der Regulierungsinstitution dürfte sie auf den Netzbetreiber den starken Effizienzdruck ausüben. Der Netzbetreiber sollte hingegen ein Unternehmen im vollständigen öffentlichen Eigentum sein. Damit kann eine Unterwanderung durch Anteilserwerb verhindert und das Netz leichter im Sinne gemeinwirtschaftlicher Verpflichtungen betrieben werden. Dies wäre überdies wegen der Legitimationsprobleme, die mit einer weitgehend unabhängigen, mit umfangreichen und nicht präzise abgegrenzten Eingriffbefugnissen versehenen Regulierungsinstitution einhergehen, vorteilhaft, wenn nicht gar geboten. Damit sind große Teile der Grundrechtsprobleme, die mit der Regulierungsinstitution, ihrer Zusammensetzung und ihren Kompetenzen zusammenhängen, irrelevant.

Les diverses formes pour la compensation dans la protection juridique de l’environnement: un défi pour l’épistémologie juridique

La compensation est un outil d’adaptation entre différents intérêts. Par rapport à l’environnement, il existe une diversité de formes qui appliquent de façon différente l’une de l’autre, la technique de la compensation. Autrement dit, des situations juridiques différentes appliquent la compensation comme une façon de régler un enjeu: on peut la trouver dans la forme d’indemnisation, comme dans de cas de la Fonderie du Trail et la Commission de Compensation des Nations Unies; de réglementation d’un dommage futur, étant une compensation ex ante facto, comme dans le cas de la Convention de Ramsar; et par des voies juridiques qui incitent le comportement privé à travers l’usage de certains outils de marché, comme les Mécanismes de Dèveloppement Propre, ou dans le domaine du droit national, la compensation de la biodiversité française, la «mitigation banking» américaine, la «Servidão Ambiental» Brésilienne, et l’écocompensation chinoise, entre autres. Le défi épistémologique se présente dans la diversité de sources, ainsi que d’acteurs et de domaines d’action dans le cadre juridique environnemental, en y exigeant un élargissement de la vision du droit étatique. Il s’agit aussi d’intégrer une interprétation systémique pour le rapport entre les systèmes juridiques, écologiques et économiques concernés. Il est possible d’utiliser quelques outils comme le pluralisme juridique, la théorie des systèmes et l’analyse économique du droit de l’environnement. Les concepts de corégulation et autorégulation peuvent aussi aider dans cet élargissement. D’ailleurs, des limites sont nécessaires pour l’équilibre entre la mise en oeuvre des intérêts écologiques et économiques. Ces limites sont données par le droit, par l’interprétation systémique, par l’État et par un renforcement de la responsabilité des entités privées. L’analyse presente d’abord les caractéristiques de la compensation dans des instruments économiques et juridiques. Ensuite, il est vérifié comment le pluralisme juridique, l’interprétation systémique, l’analyse économique et les concepts de corégulation et autorégulation peuvent-ils être utiles pour le regard épistémologique de la compensation, ainsi que pour son étude juridique.

Information provision in procurement auctions

We analyze the optimal provision of information in a procurement auction with horizontally differentiated goods. The buyer has private information about her preferred location on the product space and has access to a costless communication device. A seller who pays the entry cost may submit a bid comprising a location and a minimum price. We characterize the optimal information structure and show that the buyer prefers to attract only two bids. Further, additional sellers are inefficient since they reduce total and consumer surplus, gross of entry costs. We show that the buyer will not find it optimal to send public information to all sellers. On the other hand, she may profit from setting a minimum price and that a severe hold-up problem arises if she lacks commitment to set up the rules of the auction ex-ante.

M??todos de evaluaci??n de la Formaci??n Profesional Reglada para las pol??ticas de desarrollo regional

Determinar los criterios que deben orientar la elaboraci??n de un modelo de programaci??n regional de la FP. Comprobar la viabilidad de la aplicaci??n de un m??todo unitario para la evaluaci??n.. Se analiza el papel revalorizador y las caracter??sticas de la Formaci??n Profesional en la Uni??n Europea y en Espa??a. Se presentan los diferentes modelos de evaluaci??n existentes, analizando especialmente la evaluaci??n dentro del proceso de la programaci??n y las experiencias desarrolladas sobre la misma en Espa??a. Se procede a la definici??n de los objetivos y las fases de la evaluaci??n: 1. Evaluaci??n ex-ante, 2. Evaluaci??n on-going, 3. Evaluaci??n ex-post. Se se??alan los elementos presentes en la evaluaci??n del contexto y en la evaluaci??n del performance. Los elementos que integran una propuesta de evaluaci??n de resultados y de impacto en la FP se analizan junto con la relaci??n entre los alumnos que inician los estudios implantados y los que llegan a finalizarlos. Finalmente, se se??alan las fuentes de informaci??n y los indicadores para la evaluaci??n.. El nivel regional es el m??s adecuado para la evaluaci??n y la programaci??n porque la implantaci??n de programas formativos exige el concurso de los agentes sociales y econ??micos, que ofrecen las plazas formativas demandadas, y en la regi??n es m??s f??cil la negociaci??n y codecisi??n. La evaluaci??n puede ser interna o externa. En una evaluaci??n de performance, la evaluaci??n externa ofrece m??s imparcialidad y objetividad. En una evaluaci??n de resultados y de impacto, la evaluaci??n interna proporciona mejores resultados.. Se se??ala la posibilidad de coinciliar las distintas tradiciones de estudios de evaluaci??n, intentado integrarlos en un modelo com??n en el que participen agentes sociales y econ??micos.

Receptivity to social research by the CGIAR

This paper analyses the way the CGIAR system has incorporated social research in its agenda. Since 1995, the social science staff capacity in the CGIAR has decreased by 24%, and the overall balance of social science research is still significantly tilted away from the core germplasm enhancement, production systems/natural resources management, and technology adoption work - the 'bread and butter' of technology generation and development effort - toward ex-ante and ex-post activities, Further, the bulk of the social science research has low social research content despite the significant expansion of the CGIAR initial goal of increasing the proverbial pile of rice' to poverty alleviation and sustainable food security. The paper concludes that a concerted effort is now required to mainstream social research in the CGIAR system, and this cannot occur without the full support of the CGIAR donors, the CGIAR senior managers, and the centre boards and executive staff.

Mixed Logit Model Performance and Distributional Assumptions: Preferences and GM foods

Using mixed logit models to analyse choice data is common but requires ex ante specification of the functional forms of preference distributions. We make the case for greater use of bounded functional forms and propose the use of the Marginal Likelihood, calculated using Bayesian techniques, as a single measure of model performance across non nested mixed logit specifications. Using this measure leads to very different rankings of model specifications compared to alternative rule of thumb measures. The approach is illustrated using data from a choice experiment regarding GM food types which provides insights regarding the recent WTO dispute between the EU and the US, Canada and Argentina and whether labelling and trade regimes should be based on the production process or product composition.

UK construction orders and output: A comparison of government and commercially available data 1995-2001

Because of the importance and potential usefulness of construction market statistics to firms and government, consistency between different sources of data is examined with a view to building a predictive model of construction output using construction data alone. However, a comparison of Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Office for National Statistics (ONS) series shows that the correlation coefcient (used as a measure of consistency) of the DTI output and DTI orders data and the correlation coefficient of the DTI output and ONS output data are low. It is not possible to derive a predictive model of DTI output based on DTI orders data alone. The question arises whether or not an alternative independent source of data may be used to predict DTI output data. Independent data produced by Emap Glenigan (EG), based on planning applications, potentially offers such a source of information. The EG data records the value of planning applications and their planned start and finish dates. However, as this data is ex ante and is not correlated with DTI output it is not possible to use this data to describe the volume of actual construction output. Nor is it possible to use the EG planning data to predict DTI construc-tion orders data. Further consideration of the issues raised reveal that it is not practically possible to develop a consistent predictive model of construction output using construction statistics gathered at different stages in the development process.

Rational speculative bubbles: an empirical investigation of the London Stock Exchange

In recent years, a sharp divergence of London Stock Exchange equity prices from dividends has been noted. In this paper, we examine whether this divergence can be explained by reference to the existence of a speculative bubble. Three different empirical methodologies are used: variance bounds tests, bubble specification tests, and cointegration tests based on both ex post and ex ante data. We find that, stock prices diverged significantly from their fundamental values during the late 1990's, and that this divergence has all the characteristics of a bubble.

The underpricing of IPOs on the stock exchange of Mauritius

This paper investigates the underpricing of IPOs on the Stock Exchange of Mauritius (SEM). Taking into account the whole population of firms which went public since the inception of the SEM until 2010, the results show an average degree of underpricing within the range 10 to 20%. Using a regression approach, we demonstrate that the aftermarket risk level and auditor's reputation both have a significant positive impact on initial returns. We propose the use of the Z-score as a composite measure of a firm's ex ante financial strength, and find that it has a significant negative effect on the degree of short-run underpricing.

Time weighted portfolio optimisation

In estimating the inputs into the Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) portfolio optimisation problem, it is usual to use equal weighted historic data. Equal weighting of the data, however, does not take account of the current state of the market. Consequently this approach is unlikely to perform well in any subsequent period as the data is still reflecting market conditions that are no longer valid. The need for some return-weighting scheme that gives greater weight to the most recent data would seem desirable. Therefore, this study uses returns data which are weighted to give greater weight to the most recent observations to see if such a weighting scheme can offer improved ex-ante performance over that based on un-weighted data.

Real estate portfolio construction and estimation risk

The use of MPT in the construction real estate portfolios has two serious limitations when used in an ex-ante framework: (1) the intertemporal instability of the portfolio weights and (2) the sharp deterioration in performance of the optimal portfolios outside the sample period used to estimate asset mean returns. Both problems can be traced to wide fluctuations in sample means Jorion (1985). Thus the use of a procedure that ignores the estimation risk due to the uncertain in mean returns is likely to produce sub-optimal results in subsequent periods. This suggests that the consideration of the issue of estimation risk is crucial in the use of MPT in developing a successful real estate portfolio strategy. Therefore, following Eun & Resnick (1988), this study extends previous ex-ante based studies by evaluating optimal portfolio allocations in subsequent test periods by using methods that have been proposed to reduce the effect of measurement error on optimal portfolio allocations.

Admissible conjectures and consistent conjectures

Firms' conjectures are consistent if their ex post behavior rationalizes their ex ante beliefs. Admissible conjectures are those that satisfy the necessary conditions for consistency. Competition is inadmissible unless aggregate output is stationary. Relaxing this restriction, admissibility eliminates Cournot behavior and constrains conduct to be collusive

Can nutrition be promoted through agriculture-led food price policies? A systematic review

Abstract Objective: To systematically review the available evidence on whether national or international agricultural policies that directly affect the price of food influence the prevalence rates of undernutrition or nutrition-related chronic disease in children and adults. Design: Systematic review. Setting: Global. Search strategy: We systematically searched five databases for published literature (MEDLINE, EconLit, Agricola, AgEcon Search, Scopus) and systematically browsed other databases and relevant organisational websites for unpublished literature. Reference lists of included publications were hand-searched for additional relevant studies. We included studies that evaluated or simulated the effects of national or international food-price-related agricultural policies on nutrition outcomes reporting data collected after 1990 and published in English. Primary and secondary outcomes: Prevalence rates of undernutrition (measured with anthropometry or clinical deficiencies) and overnutrition (obesity and nutrition-related chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease and diabetes). Results: We identified a total of four relevant reports; two ex post evaluations and two ex ante simulations. A study from India reported on the undernutrition rates in children, and the other three studies from Egypt, the Netherlands and the USA reported on the nutrition related chronic disease outcomes in adults. Two of the studies assessed the impact of policies that subsidised the price of agricultural outputs and two focused on public food distribution policies. The limited evidence base provided some support for the notion that agricultural policies that change the prices of foods at a national level can have an effect on population-level nutrition and health outcomes. Conclusions: A systematic review of the available literature suggests that there is a paucity of robust direct evidence on the impact of agricultural price policies on nutrition and health.

Doing more harm than good? Community based natural resource management and the neglect of local institutions in policy development

Approaches to natural resource management emphasise the importance of involving local people and institutions in order to build capacity, limit costs, and achieve environmental sustainability. Governments worldwide, often encouraged by international donors, have formulated devolution policies and legal instruments that provide an enabling environment for devolved natural resource management. However, implementation of these policies reveals serious challenges. This article explores the effects of limited involvement of local people and institutions in policy development and implementation. An in-depth study of the Forest Policy of Malawi and Village Forest Areas in the Lilongwe district provides an example of externally driven policy development which seeks to promote local management of natural resources. The article argues that policy which has weak ownership by national government and does not adequately consider the complexity of local institutions, together with the effects of previous initiatives on them, can create a cumulative legacy through which destructive resource use practices and social conflict may be reinforced. In short, poorly developed and implemented community based natural resource management policies can do considerably more harm than good. Approaches are needed that enable the policy development process to embed an in-depth understanding of local institutions whilst incorporating flexibility to account for their location-specific nature. This demands further research on policy design to enable rigorous identification of positive and negative institutions and ex-ante exploration of the likely effects of different policy interventions.