Symposium Paper Regulatory Reform and Competition: How to Push the Agenda Forward. A European Perspective ALBERTO HEIMLER Scuola Superiore della Pubblica Amministrazione, via dei Robilant 11, Roma 00194, Italy. E-mail: IA.Heimler@sspa.it In recent decades, Community institutions have promoted most of the pro-competitive reforms in continental Europe. Liberalizations originating at the national level were seldom successful because they were blocked by arguments based on often fictitious general interest considerations (stability, universal service, continuity of supply, consumer protection, employment, etc). In Italy, also as a result of competition advocacy by the antitrust Authority, the Government has recently liberalized a number of private service activities. Experience shows that the probability of competition- oriented reforms is greatly enhanced if law making is accompanied by a technical analysis of the objectives, necessity and proportionality of regulatory restrictions. Comparative Economic Studies (2009) 51, 540–557. doi:10.1057/ces.2009.14; published online 23 July 2009 Keywords: antitrust issues and policy, regulation and industrial policy, economic integration, institutions: design, formation and operations JEL Classifications: L4, L5, F15, D02 INTRODUCTION In most European countries, the 1980s have been a turning point for economic policy, with competition and liberalizations becoming the point of reference of government action. European institutions played a very important role, both directly and indirectly. In the late 1980s, the European Commission started to liberalize public utilities by adopting directives and regulations legally binding on member States. The process was not always Comparative Economic Studies, 2009, 51, (540–557) r 2009 ACES. All rights reserved. 0888-7233/09 www.palgrave-journals.com/ces/