Regolazione pubblica e concorrenza nel settore postale: il caso Poste Italiane s.p.a.

So far, the liberalization of postal services has meant to overcome the legal barriers affecting market activities, yet making competition achievable only in legal terms: indeed, simply removing the legal monopoly is not enough if the former monopolist still keeps some privileges and the economic activity requires the availability of expensive infrastructures (essential facilities) which are difficult to reproduce. The present research is aimed at identifying the obstacles that until now have prevented new entrants from gaining significant market shares as well as proposing some adjustments that could facilitate the creation of a truly competitive market.