Christopher Decker
Associate Fellow
Biography
Bachelor of Commerce (Economics) University of Melbourne; Bachelor of Commerce (Honours Year in Economics), University of Melbourne; D.Phil, University of Oxford
Christopher Decker's research interests include regulation, competition economics, law and economics, behavioural economics and institutional economics. He is also interested in the law and economics of development. His academic research has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the Leverhulme Trust and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).
Chris is actively interested in how regulation is designed and applied in practice. His current and most recent research has focussed on topics such as: the effect of competition policy on inequality; the design of regulatory frameworks for integrating unmanned aircraft (drones) into shared airspace; the economic impacts of climate change in the water sector; the regulation of digital markets; the regulation of payment systems (particularly issues associated with a shift towards a cashless society); the impact of regulatory changes on the legal services sector; and the future regulation of digitized and distributed energy systems.
Chris has advised a range of international organizations (World Bank, OECD, APEC, European Commission, European Parliament); UK regulators and government departments (Cabinet Office, DEFRA, BEIS, National Infrastructure Commission, Ofgem, Ofcom, CAA, Ofwat, the Competition Commission, Office of Fair Trading, Competition and Markets Authority, Legal Services Board, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, Payment Systems Regulator, Financial Conduct Authority) and government departments and regulators in Australia, Argentina, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, New Zealand, and South Africa. He has also provided expert evidence in a number of competition law and regulatory proceedings including before the European Court of Justice, General Court of the European Union, World Bank International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), UK Supreme Court, Irish High Court and the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal.
Chris sits on a number of advisory panels including the UK Competition and Markets Authority academic panel; the UK Better Regulation Executive Network of Experts; the International Water Association’s Working Group on public policy and regulation; the Australian Energy Market Commission expert panel; and the Legal Services Board academic panel. He was also previously a member of the panel of economic experts for the Irish Commission for Energy Regulation, and an advisor to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Publications
Zac A and others, ‘Competition policy and the labour share’ [2023] Journal of Law Economics and Organization
DECKER C and others, ‘COMPETITION LAW ENFORCEMENT AND HOUSEHOLD INEQUALITY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM’ [2022] Journal of Competition Law and Economics
Ezrachi A, Zac A and Decker C, ‘The effects of competition law on inequality-an incidental by-product or a path for societal change?’ (2022) 11(1) Journal of Antitrust Enforcement 51
Decker C and Chiambaretto P, ‘Economic policy choices and trade-offs for Unmanned aircraft systems Traffic Management (UTM): Insights from Europe and the United States’ (2022) 157 Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice 40
Decker C, ‘Protecting consumers in digitized and multi-source energy systems’ (2021) 16(11-12) Energy Sources, Part B: Economics, Planning, and Policy 1127
Jenkins K and others, ‘An Integrated Framework for Risk‐Based Analysis of Economic Impacts of Drought and Water Scarcity in England and Wales’ (2021) 57(8) Water Resources Research
Decker C, ‘Reform and ’modernisation’ of legal services in England and Wales: motivations, measurement and impacts’ [2021] OECD Workshop on Regulatory Barriers to Competition in Professional Services
DECKER C, ‘Time matters: the temporal dimension of antitrust’ (2020) 41 ECLR: European Competition Law Review 273
Decker C, ‘Utility and regulatory decision-making under conditions of uncertainty: Balancing resilience and affordability’ (2018) 51 Utilities Policy 51
lez J-G, Decker C and Hall J, ‘A Scenario-Based Framework for Assessing the Economic Impacts of Potential Droughts’ (2017) 03(04) Water Economics and Policy 1
Freire-González J, Decker C and Hall J, ‘A Scenario-Based Framework for Assessing the Economic Impacts of Potential Droughts’ (2017) 03(04) Water Economics and Policy 1750007
Decker C, ‘CONCEPTS OF THE CONSUMER IN
COMPETITION, REGULATORY, AND
CONSUMER PROTECTION POLICES’ [2017] Journal of Competition L
Decker C, Freire-González J and Hall J, ‘THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF DROUGHTS: A FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYSIS’ [2016] Ecological Economics
Decker C, ‘Regulating networks in decline’ [2016] Journal of Regulatory Economics
DECKER C, ‘An English experiment: the regulation of the legal profession in England and Wales’ (2014) 10 Cadernos Fundação Getúlio Vargas Direito Rio (special Edition on Contemporary Lawyering)
Decker C and Gray H, ‘Public Utilities: Competition Litigation versus Regulatory Arbitration’ (2013) 3(1) Global Competition Litigation Review 26
DECKER C, ‘The Consumer Knows Best: Involving Consumers in Regulatory Processes and Decision-making’ (2013) 49(1) Network
Chiambaretto P and Decker C, ‘Air–rail intermodal agreements: Balancing the competition and environmental effects’ (2012) 23 Journal of Air Transport Management 36
Decker C and Gray H, ‘Antitrust and Arbitration in Regulated Sectors’ (2011) 7(2) Competition Law International 7
DECKER C, ‘The objectives of economic regulators: Old tensions and new challenges’ (2010) 36 Network
Decker C and Keyworth T, ‘COMPETITION LAW AND COMMODITY MARKETS: THE CASE OF WHOLESALE ELECTRICITY’ (2002) 22(4) Economic Affairs 32
‘Regulating networks in decline’ [2016] Journal of Regulatory Economics
Decker C, Modern Economic Regulation An Introduction to Theory and Practice (Cambridge University Press 2023)
Decker C, Modern Economic Regulation An Introduction to Theory and Practice (Cambridge University Press 2015)
Decker C, Economics and the Enforcement of European Competition Law (Edward Elgar Pub 2009)
DECKER C and others, ‘A Cross-Country Analysis of the Relationship between Competition Law and Economic Inequality’, Competition Law and Economic Inequality (Hart Publishing 2022)
DECKER C, ‘Energy Transportation: Electricity’, Handbook of Energy Economics and Policy Fundamentals and Applications for Engineers and Energy Planners (Elsevier 2021)
DECKER C, ‘Economics and Transnational Risk Regulation’, Regulatory Transformations Rethinking Economy-Society Interactions (Bloomsbury Publishing 2015)
DECKER C and Harding M, ‘Some Reflections on the Point of Regulating Not-for-Profits’, Not-for-Profit Law Theoretical and Comparative Perspectives (Cambridge University Press 2014)
Decker C, ‘Inequality, Redistribution and Competition Law Enforcement’ (The Antitrust Enforcement Symposium - 25 Jun 2021, Oxford 2021)
Decker C, ‘Regulatory Barriers to Competition in Professional Services: Measurement and Reform Experience’ (OECD Conference on Product Market Regulation (PMR) Indicators, 19 November 2021 2021)
Decker C, ‘Overview of Approaches to Consumer Policy Measurement’ (OECD 98th Session of the Committee on Consumer Policy (CCP), Paris 23 October 2019 2019)
Decker C, ‘Developing effective remedies following market investigations: insights and challenges’ (APEC Competition Policy and Law Group, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 3 March 2018 2018)
Decker C, ‘Drought Mitigation & Preparedness: Benefits of Action & Costs of Inaction’ (World Bank, Washington, DC 26-27 April 2017 2017)
Decker C, ‘Anti-competitive effects: new ideas in law and economics’ (UniSA & ACCC Competition Law & Economics Workshop 2016, Adelaide, 14-15 October 2016 2016)
Decker C, ‘Cost:Benefit of drought emergency vs. drought risk management’ (UN Global Water Partnership, IDMP Meeting, Geneva, 14-15 September 2016 2016)
DECKER C, ‘Reform and ‘modernisation’ of legal services in England and Wales: motivations, impacts and insights for the OECD PMR Indicators’
DECKER C, ‘100 years of government control over public utilities’
DECKER C, ‘Consumer Involvement in Regulatory Decision-Making’
DECKER C, ‘Addressing Overlaps and Conflicts between Competition Authorities and Sectoral Regulators’
DECKER C, ‘The institutional architecture of delegated regulation and its checks and balances’
DECKER C, ‘Regulatory implications of networks in decline’
DECKER C, ‘Representation by Advocates in Courts: An Economic and Comparative View’
DECKER C, ‘Are we all behaviouralists now? Implications of the changing concept of the consumer for competition and regulatory policy’
DECKER C, ‘Are competitive markets and efficient markets the same thing? If not, what are the differences? (UNISA/ACCC Competition law and economics conference)’
Zac A and others, ‘Competition Law and Income Inequality: A Panel Data Econometric Approach’
DECKER C, ‘Fit for multiple purposes: (almost) 40 years of independent economic regulation in the UK (Conference on regulatory governance. Florence, Italy)’
DECKER C, ‘Reform and ’modernisation’ of legal services in England and Wales (OECD Workshop on Regulatory Barriers to Competition in Professional Services)’
DECKER C, ‘Overview of approaches to consumer policy measurement (OECD 98th Session of the Committee on Consumer Policy (CCP) 23 October 2019)’
DECKER C, ‘Cognitive biases in the discovery and assessment of evidence in competition law cases (Oxford Regulation and Competition Conference)’
DECKER C, ‘Goals based and rules based approaches to regulation (Presentation to Department for
Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy)’
DECKER C, ‘Efficiency, exploitation or fairness: what is the rationale for economic regulation?’
DECKER C, ‘Water supply: governance and regulation (Presentation to ENDOWS)’
DECKER C, ‘Regulating networks in decline’
DECKER C, ‘Developing effective remedies following market investigations (APEC Competition and Policy Group, Port Moresby Papua New Guinea)’
DECKER C, ‘Drought Mitigation & Preparedness: Benefits of Action & Costs of Inaction (World Bank, Washington)’
DECKER C, ‘The legal services market: trends, innovations and the policy context’
DECKER C, ‘Regulation of Economic Infrastructure in the UK: Developments and Challenges’
DECKER C, ‘Benefits of Action/ Cost of Inaction for Drought Preparedness’
DECKER C, ‘The Economics of Electronic Conspicuity for Manned and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles’ (Report for the Civil Aviation Authority 2019 2021)
DECKER C, ‘Policy alternatives to improve competition in the Chilean Gas market’ (Report for the for the Fiscalía Nacional Económica 2021)
DECKER C, ‘Academic review of Ofgem’s Consumer Impact Report 2019-20’ (Report for the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets 2020)
DECKER C, ‘Consumer protection frameworks for new energy products and services and the traditional sale of energy’ (Report for the Australian Energy Markets Commission 2020)
Decker C, ‘An Economic Regulatory Framework for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM)’ (Report for Civil Aviation Authority 2020)
DECKER C, ‘Academic review of Ofgem’s Consumer Impact Report 2018-19’ (Report for the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets 2019)
DECKER C, ‘Analysis of the costs of water resource management options to enhance drought resilience’ (Report for the National Infrastructure Commission 2018)
DECKER C, ‘Academic review of Ofgem’s Consumer Impact Report 2017-18’ (Report for the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets 2018)
DECKER C, ‘Framework for assessing the economic impacts of the work of the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’ (Report for the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency 2018)
DECKER C, ‘Goals-based and rules-based approaches to regulation’ (Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Research Paper 2018)
DECKER C, ‘Exploratory analysis of the prospects for, and potential impacts of, ATM scheme competition’ (Report for the Payment Systems Regulator 2018)
DECKER C, ‘Academic review of the CMA’s Impact Assessment for 2018’ (Report for Competition and Markets Authority 2018)
Decker C, ‘Assessing the economic impacts of the work of the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’ (Report for the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency 2018)
DECKER C, ‘Assessment of the economic impacts of the EU’s Payment Package’ (2017)
DECKER C, ‘Academic review of the CMA’s Impact Assessment Work for 2016/17’ (Report for the Competition and Markets Authority 2017)
DECKER C, ‘Development of an Impact Evaluation Framework’ (Report for the Solicitors Regulation Authority 2017)
Decker C, ‘Review of Consumer Impact Report’ (Report for the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets 2017)
DECKER C, ‘Assessment of Ofgem’s Positive Impact Methodology’ (Report for Office of Gas and Electricity Markets 2016)
DECKER C and Milieu Belgium, ‘Impact assessment on substantive amendments to the Commission proposal on legal aid’ (Report for the European Parliament 2016)
DECKER C, ‘Assessment of the economic rationale for and possible impacts of proposed changes to the Solicitors Regulation Authority Handbook’ (Report for the Solicitors Regulation Authority 2016)
DECKER C, ‘Academic review of Ofgem’s Consumer Impact Report’ (Report for Office of Gas and Electricity Markets 2016)
Decker C, ‘Economic Impacts of Legal Aid’ (Report for the European Parliament 2016)
Decker C, ‘Review of Positive Impact Assessments approach, methodology and calculations’’ (Report for the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets 2016)
Decker C, ‘Indirect access to payment systems: insights from access theory and practice’ (Report for the Payment Systems Regulator 2016)
DECKER C and Albon R, ‘Better Economic Regulation of Infrastructure: International Insights’ (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)/Australian Energy Regulator (AER) 2015)
DECKER C, ‘Regulatory implications of new products and services in electricity markets’ (Report for the Australian Energy Markets Commission 2015)
Decker C, ‘Competition, Consolidation and Collaboration in Payments Systems’ (Report for the Financial Conduct Authority 2015)
DECKER C, ‘Strategy setting for payment systems’ (Report for the Financial Conduct Authority 2014)
DECKER C and Hodges C, ‘Government-sponsored voluntary regulation’ (2014)
DECKER C, ‘Regulating a network monopoly: principles of tariff setting and revenue recovery’ (Report for Ofgem 2014)
DECKER C, ‘The approach to strategy setting for payment systems’ (Report for the Payment Systems Regulator 2014)
DECKER C, Yarrow G and Rab S, ‘Assessment of different approaches to economic regulation that could be applied to payment systems’ (Report for the Financial Conduct Authority 2014)
Decker C and Yarrow G, ‘Good Faith Bids and Bidding Behaviour in Wholesale Electricity Markets’ (Report for the Australian Energy Markets Commission 2014)
DECKER C, ‘Consumer Involvement in Regulatory Decision-Making’ (Report for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission 2013)
Decker C, ‘Forms and Lessons from Consumer Involvement in Regulatory Decision Making’ (Report for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission 2013)
DECKER C and Yarrow G, ‘Assessing the economic significance of the professional legal services sector in the European Union’ (Report for the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe 2012)
DECKER C and Yarrow G, ‘Institutional Economics and its relevance to Environmental Policy’ (Report for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 2012)
DECKER C and Deloitte Belgium, ‘Evaluation of the first three years of the European Research Executive Agency (REA) and ERC Executive Agency’ (Report for European Commission DG Research and Innovation 2012)
Decker C, ‘Review of the Limited Merits Review Regimes for Appeals in Regulated Sector (technical assistant to Expert Panel)’ (Report for Standing Council of Energy and Resources 2012)
Decker C, ‘Assessment of the mid-term economic impacts of the European Energy Programme for Recovery’ (Report for the European Commission 2012)
DECKER C and Yarrow G, ‘Understanding The Economic Rationale For Legal Services Regulation’ (Report for the Legal Services Board 2011)
DECKER C, ‘Economic Approaches to the Counterfactual’ (Report for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission 2011)
DECKER C, ‘Survey of the regulation of interchange fees and merchant service charges in different jurisdictions’ (2011)
DECKER C, ‘Current Perspectives on UK Infrastructure Regulation’ (Report for Australian Competition and Consumer Commission 2011)
DECKER C, ‘Evaluating Economic Regulation: Approaches, Methods and Limitations’ (2011)
Decker C, ‘An assessment of the Intelligent Energy-Europe II Programme’ (Report for the European Commission 2011)
DECKER C, ‘Assessments of Regulatory Governance’ (Report for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission 2010)
DECKER C, ‘Encouraging Innovation in Energy Networks’ (Report for the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets 2010)
DECKER C and Yarrow G, ‘Assessment of the existing electricity transmission network frameworks in the National Electricity Market and options for change’ (Report for the Australian Energy Markets Commission 2010)
DECKER C and Yarrow G, ‘Review of Guernsey’s utility regulatory regime’ (2010)
DECKER C, ‘Interoperability and Competition Economics’ (2010)
DECKER C, ‘Review of studies on the costs of cash’ (2010)
DECKER C, ‘Towards a common definition of payment institution payment transactions: a recommendation paper’ (2010)
DECKER C, ‘Characteristics of Alternative Price Control Frameworks’ (Report for the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets 2009)
DECKER C, ‘International approaches to transmission access for renewable energy’ (Report for Office of Gas and Electricity Markets 2009)
DECKER C, ‘Multiple Objectives and Economic Regulation: impacts on processes and outcomes’ (Report for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission 2009)
Decker C, ‘Assessments of Regulatory Governance’ (Report for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission 2009)
Decker C, ‘Evaluation of Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation’ (Report for the European Commission 2009)
DECKER C, ‘Report on the economic principles for fixed-to-mobile interconnection charges in Hong Kong’ (2008)
DECKER C, ‘The use of glide-paths in regulation’ (2008)
DECKER C and Yarrow G, ‘Review of the supply of generic medicines’ (2008)
DECKER C, Keyworth T and Yarrow G, ‘The impacts of regulation on productivity’ (Report for Department of Business Energy and Regulatory Reform 2008)
DECKER C, ‘Review of the impacts of recent interventions in the Australian Payment System’ (2008)
DECKER C, ‘Evaluation of the first three years of operation of the Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation – (ex-Intelligent Energy Executive Agency)’ (Report for the European Commission Directorate General Energy and Transport 2008)
DECKER C, Keyworth T and Yarrow G, ‘Competition in the provision of water services’ (Report for Water UK 2008)
DECKER C, Keyworth T and Yarrow G, ‘Report on the impact of maintaining price regulation’ (Report for Australian Energy Market Commission 2008)
Decker C, ‘Reflections on policy issues raised by next-generation access networks in communications’ (Report for the Department of Broadband and Communications 2008)
DECKER C, ‘Mid-term evaluation of the European Energy Programme for Recovery’ (European Commission Directorate General of Energy)
DECKER C, ‘The “Hypothetical Efficient Competitor" test’ (Report for the New Zealand Report to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry)
DECKER C and Yarrow G, ‘Transmission Planning and Investment in the National Electricity Market: Assessment of existing arrangements and options for reform’ (Report for Victorian Department of Primary Industries)
DECKER C, ‘Decision-making framework for the regulation of new products and services in Australia’s electricity market’ (Report for the Australian Energy Markets Commission)
DECKER C, ‘Governance and regulation of the New Payments System Operator’ (Report for the Payment Systems Regulator)