Based on a review of the analytical underpinnings of the effects of the NSFR on banks� choices, this paper attempts to relate banks� strategies to developments in the value of the ratio in the euro area. In spite of a not-so-near implementation date, the evidence is that the NSFR...

Using data from a Bank of Italy survey, this paper analyzes the Italian taxi market and its recent changes. Local regulations are rather homogeneous, while there is a widespread disproportion, within municipal advisory committees, between the number of representatives of taxi drivers and that of...

This paper shows the results of a survey on firms regarding the changes that are occurring in the bank-firm relationship in view of Basel II. The survey has been conducted on an national basis together with a local one directed to small firms localized in the regions of Emilia-Romagna, Puglia...

We present a new indicator of house prices in Italy, with more extensive geographical and time coverage. The new indicator now makes it possible to analyze medium- and long-term trends with satisfactory representation of the Italian housing market. It also allows for timely updating, for prompt...

This paper analyzes the evolution of the natural gas distribution sector in Italy from the 2000 reform with the aim of evaluating the regulatory framework, its implementation and its effects on firms and consumers. Market fragmentation has diminished significantly over the years; however, the...

This paper studies the effects on local public transport of the reform begun in the late nineties, using data from a recent Bank of Italy survey. There are still substantial differences across Italy’s regions, and the level of efficiency is far from the original aims of the reform. Although...

Since the late eighties the Italian National Health System, in particular hospital care, has undergone deep reforms. This paper evaluates the technical efficiency of Italian public hospitals in light of the main features of the hospital system at a regional level. The evaluation was carried out...

This paper illustrates the seasonal adjustment procedure for bank deposits and loans, focusing on the policy for the revision of seasonally adjusted data. Seasonal adjustment is semi-automatic when the commonly used software package, TRAMO-SEATS, is used to produce seasonally adjusted series....

Between 2003 and 2007 the volume of container traffic handled by the national port system increased only slightly despite the strong growth of maritime traffic in the Mediterranean Sea. This was due both to national economic stagnation and to the inability of the ports to extend their...

This paper outlines the evolution of the regulatory framework for the supply of local public utilities, social and health services since the early nineties. That framework is rendered complex by frequent legislative reforms, the overlap of general rules and specific rules for some services, and...