On 23 May 2023, the third of four conferences “Regulated markets – legal, financial and market competitiveness aspects. The potential of water and energy.”
The originators of the conference are Veolia Poland, WSB Academy – WSB University and Romanowski and Partners.
The first conference was held on 24 October 2022 and enjoyed exceptional attendance and success, the second (2 March 2023) confirmed the need for such meetings. While the third (23 May 2023) further demonstrated how positive or disruptive the role of the regulator can be and the importance of the relationship between energy and water.
The uniqueness of the conference lies in the organisers’ assumption of addressing the event exclusively to private business and local governments. Its purpose is to speak out about how politicised state-regulated business is a great threat to entrepreneurs and consumers. Water and sewerage companies, as a result of the policy of the regulator Wód Polski, are struggling to maintain liquidity, while they should be investing in critical infrastructure security and development, including cooperation with the energy sector.
The biggest threat to the market economy, which is supposed to serve consumers, is not private monopolies, because these, according to the Constitution, can be broken up by an independent anti-monopoly body established under the rule of law. A danger to the market economy is a state monopoly, because such a monopoly, the state antitrust authority may not have the will to break up. An additional danger is a power-dependent regulator.
At the last conference in May, the introductory lecture entitled. “Local governments in regulated markets. Responsibility without tools’ was delivered by Professor Michał Romanowski. A panel discussion entitled. “Water – two in one – synergies of water and energy” was chaired by Adam Romanowski, partner at Romanowski i Wspólnicy.
A team consisting of: Krzysztof Zamasz, Wojciech Dmochowski, Adam Romanowski, Michał Romanowski. The developed concept goes through a creative discussion among the members of the Conference Scientific Council composed of eminent experts in the subject matter, chaired by Professor Michał Romanowski.
Many thanks to the hosts of the WSB Academy – WSB University: Rector Zdzisława Dacko-Pikiewicz, Pro-rector Marcin Lis for their hospitality and professional organisation.
We would like to thank the President of Veolia Poland, Frederic Faroche and Krzysztof Zamasz and Wojciech Dmochowski, for the joint initiative supporting private businesses and local governments that face challenges in regulated public goods markets.
A report on the conference is available here.
A summary of the conference series will take place in autumn 2023.