Is there a future for public service obligations in a competitive market?

Dr Alexander Italianeris Director General of DG Competition at the European Commission. Before that, he was Deputy Secretary General in charge of the Better Regulation Agenda and Chairman of the Impact Assessment Board.

During his career at the European Commission, he worked for the Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs, and in the cabinets of President Santer, Commissioner Verheugen, Commissioner Telička and President Barroso.

He holds a Graduate Degree in Econometrics and a PhD in Economics from the University of Groningen, and was a Research Associate at the Catholic University of Leuven before joining the European Commission.

Bernard Damiens is Director, Strategic and Regulatory Affairs at BPost, the Belgian postal operator and past-Chairman of PostEurop.

Mr Damiens worked previously for Unilever and Masterfoods before joining BPost in 1995, as a Director, first for Logistics and Purchasing, then for Mail and in 2000, for Regulatory, Public & International Affairs.

Bernard Damiens holds a degree in Commercial Engineering from the Catholic University of Louvain (UCL).