Governance of Public-Private Corporations in Provision of Local Italian Utilities

Abstract

This work proposes to examine the governance structure of public-private corporations that manage local utilities (water, energy and multi-utility) in Italy. The objective is the verification, from a qualitative point of view, that the governance structure adequately guarantees the reconciliation of interests of different categories of shareholders (public and private), as local public service corporations increases their own shareholding basis by involving financial and industrial shareholders who bring with them both financial and industrial interests. The work shows that the corporate governance structure is one important tool in the end of the public owner in order to steer and control the public and private corporations.