The hypothesis underlying this report is that yardstick competition might be an efficient way to regulate infrastructure provision, at least in its core activity: maintenance. But to support this hypothesis, we need to present yardstick competition quite extensively.Thus, this report is...

France has a track record of persistent general government deficits, partly reflecting pro-cyclical fiscal policies in upswings. This has resulted in a quadrupling of its public debt-to-GDP ratio since the 1970s to above 80% of GDP. Reducing public debt is crucial because a high level of public...