Prevention instead of reaction: creating a robust funding structure for the NHS
1 Executive summary The NHS is at a critical juncture, facing unprecedented pressures from an ageing population, rising health inequalities, and underinvestment in infrastructure. The Darzi Report underscores the scale of these challenges, highlighting the need for systemic reforms to enhance resilience and productivity. In response to the Change… Read More
This week in economics
Delving into recent news through the lens of economics, this first episode of This week in economics tackles what’s caused the recent exodus from X and what the impacts for the social media market could be, and explores the potential impact of President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs for the global… Read More
Podcasts
The Draghi Report: How to deliver Europe’s innovation imperative?
How can Europe become more innovative to succeed in an increasingly competitive and uncertain global environment? The recent report by Mario Draghi on the future of European competitiveness is a sobering read that highlights the low growth and productivity performance of the EU over the last two decades and proposes… Read More
Road pricing for electric vehicles: bridging the fuel duty shortfall
Governments generate significant revenue from taxes on petrol and diesel, which has been essential in financing and maintaining infrastructure. These taxes are also intended to incorporate the externalities of driving, such as congestion, noise, accidents, pollution and road wear. If these costs were borne by society instead of by drivers… Read More
Article 102 Reform
In August 2024, the European Commission published draft guidelines for consultation on exclusionary abuse under Article 102. The guidelines aim to reflect latest developments in jurisprudence and increase legal certainty. Oxera responded to the consultation which closed on 31 October 2024. The response highlights areas where improvements could be made… Read More
Demystifying private equity
What is private equity? What do PE firms do, how do they make their money, and why do companies seek out private equity investment? The term private equity often conjures up images of exclusive deals, high stakes investment, and elite financial circles but plenty of companies use it successfully to… Read More
Spatial planning: the good, the bad and the needy
Unbalanced regional development is a common economic concern. It arises from ‘clustering’ of companies and resources, compounded by higher benefit-to-cost ratios for infrastructure projects in well developed regions. Government efforts to redress this balance have had mixed success. Dr Rupert Booth, Senior Adviser, proposes a practical programme to develop… Read More
Sustainable Divergence between the UK and the EU—the Fair Share Principle in Practice
As sustainability continues to grow in importance for businesses, regulators are starting to provide guidance on how competition law applies to ‘green agreements’. In our recent article, written alongside Linklaters, we examine how the European Commission and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are shaping their frameworks to account… Read More
Is dynamic pricing an ambush or advantage for consumers?
The debate as to whether or when dynamic pricing is fair and reasonable continues, and there are even calls for it be banned. Dynamic pricing has been in the news recently, with backlash from fans trying to secure a ticket to see Oasis in concert. You will have experienced dynamic… Read More
Reducing or removing CO2 emissions: Can offsets make the difference?
As countries and corporates focus on reducing emissions in line with European net zero targets up to 2050, in this article, Oxera Partner Sir Philip Lowe examines the use of offsets, particularly in hard-to-abate segments of the economy. Oxera’s research on… Read More