1. Definition and characteristics
Public service is an activity undertaken by a public figure, provided by a public or a private person to perform or satisfy a general interest (GUGLIELMI and Kouba, 2007). Activity managed by a private person is qualified for public service activity if it meets three elements [1] :
- There must be an activity of general interest;
- The private person must have public powers to carry out its mission of general interest;
- Administration must have a say on the body.
The general interest is attached to the concept of public service, and this led him to explore the areas affected by the utility, public services to industrial and commercial, and different conceptions of this notion. The areas concerned
by the utility are those which fall within the sovereign functions of government, non-profit sector and the commercial sector.
- Those who fall under the sovereign functions of government are fully tax-funded and insured by government. There is: justice, police, national defense, public finance, general administration.
- There must be an activity of general interest;
- The private person must have public powers to carry out its mission of general interest;
- Administration must have a say on the body.
The general interest is attached to the concept of public service, and this led him to explore the areas affected by the utility, public services to industrial and commercial, and different conceptions of this notion. The areas concerned
by the utility are those which fall within the sovereign functions of government, non-profit sector and the commercial sector.
- Those who fall under the sovereign functions of government are fully tax-funded and insured by government. There is: justice, police, national defense, public finance, general administration.
- The non-profit sector consists mainly of free services funded primarily by taxes or mandatory contributions. This category includes national education, health services, safety social, infrastructure management ...
- The commercial sector includes services funded primarily by business, but are considered to be under the control of the community. It distinguishes transport (urban, rail, air ..) post, drinking water, energy (distribution and transmission of electricity, gas ...).
This category includes public utilities, also called public services to industrial and commercial (CIPS).
utilities to industrial and commercial have five main features (Percebois, 2003):
- Their consumption is divisible, unlike pure public goods whose consumption is indivisible and these are essential goods for which a minimum service is provided by the legislature;
- They are generating demand externalities (club effect) which means that the satisfaction of a consumer generally tends to increase when the number of users on the network increases;
- They are generators of externalities provides this which implies that the presence of a large number of consumers pays offering new services annexes;
- They are subject to risks of congestion, the network is likely to be saturated at certain times, which poses the problem of access priority;
- The public can not ignore how these services are organized, especially for the network that operates as a "natural monopoly", which raises the issue of information asymmetries between the regulator and the regulated and thus the incentives to effort to force the network operator to lower its costs and to increase investment ability required.
production, transportation and distribution of gas and electricity are examples of privileged public services to industrial and commercial.
2. The different conceptions of the notion of public service
- The commercial sector includes services funded primarily by business, but are considered to be under the control of the community. It distinguishes transport (urban, rail, air ..) post, drinking water, energy (distribution and transmission of electricity, gas ...).
This category includes public utilities, also called public services to industrial and commercial (CIPS).
utilities to industrial and commercial have five main features (Percebois, 2003):
- Their consumption is divisible, unlike pure public goods whose consumption is indivisible and these are essential goods for which a minimum service is provided by the legislature;
- They are generating demand externalities (club effect) which means that the satisfaction of a consumer generally tends to increase when the number of users on the network increases;
- They are generators of externalities provides this which implies that the presence of a large number of consumers pays offering new services annexes;
- They are subject to risks of congestion, the network is likely to be saturated at certain times, which poses the problem of access priority;
- The public can not ignore how these services are organized, especially for the network that operates as a "natural monopoly", which raises the issue of information asymmetries between the regulator and the regulated and thus the incentives to effort to force the network operator to lower its costs and to increase investment ability required.
production, transportation and distribution of gas and electricity are examples of privileged public services to industrial and commercial.
2. The different conceptions of the notion of public service
There are two main approaches to the concept of public service: The Legal and economical design. According
legal view, falls within the public service "any activity whose performance must be guaranteed, regulated and controlled by governments, because the completion of this activity is essential to the achievement and development of social interdependence, and is of such nature that it can not be fully realized only through the intervention of the government forces "(Duguit, 1928). Three
management principles associated with the concept of public service and SPIC, according to this view, the continuity, the mutability and Equality (ALOY and Leveque, 1997, Mirabel et al., 2001).
- Continuity implies that there is no break in service provision, with the assurance of a minimum service during strikes;
- The mutability (Or adaptability) refers to the need to adapt the public service content based on the development of technical progress and needs of users.
- Equality is a general principle of nondiscrimination, which requires that users are treated equally. It is absolutely not synonymous with free access. The many public utilities have shown, that their pay does not directly access a section of the population, one whose lack of income does not consume the goods in question.
The economic conception of utility has been developed by MARTINAND-LORENZI (1995) and HENRY COHEN (1998). For
MARTINAND and LORENZI (1995), the concept of utility relates to the concepts of natural monopoly and public goods. These two situations describe what economic theory refers to as market failure, namely situations in which a state of perfect competition does not correspond to a Pareto optimum and does not therefore result in welfare maximization Welfare.
The concept of natural monopoly public service refers to industrial and commercial often implements a network activity. That of collective good means property that is accessible to all and whose consumption by one individual does not reduce the availability for others. This concept covers non-market services like national defense.
COHEN and HENRY (1998), introduce the two aspects of efficiency and fairness to characterize the activities and public service missions. According to them, public service is also an expression of solidarity and concern for the public service missions contribute to the reduction of inequalities related to income or physical disabilities. They have among other things, the three main categories of service functions public as:
- Those who seek to make them physically and financially accessible to users at risk of exclusion (due to severe disabilities, critical situations, inadequate incomes) of essential services they need in appropriate forms;
- Those who, beyond strictly the fight against exclusion contribute to social cohesion and sense of belonging to the national community;
- Those who seek to promote the efficient use and balanced in space and time, territory and common resources.
The concept of public service is linked to its missions, in their economic definition are classified under the heading of public utilities (Mirabel et al., 2001).
[1] These items were taken from the French Conseil d'Etat of June 28, 1963.
management principles associated with the concept of public service and SPIC, according to this view, the continuity, the mutability and Equality (ALOY and Leveque, 1997, Mirabel et al., 2001).
- Continuity implies that there is no break in service provision, with the assurance of a minimum service during strikes;
- The mutability (Or adaptability) refers to the need to adapt the public service content based on the development of technical progress and needs of users.
- Equality is a general principle of nondiscrimination, which requires that users are treated equally. It is absolutely not synonymous with free access. The many public utilities have shown, that their pay does not directly access a section of the population, one whose lack of income does not consume the goods in question.
The economic conception of utility has been developed by MARTINAND-LORENZI (1995) and HENRY COHEN (1998). For
MARTINAND and LORENZI (1995), the concept of utility relates to the concepts of natural monopoly and public goods. These two situations describe what economic theory refers to as market failure, namely situations in which a state of perfect competition does not correspond to a Pareto optimum and does not therefore result in welfare maximization Welfare.
The concept of natural monopoly public service refers to industrial and commercial often implements a network activity. That of collective good means property that is accessible to all and whose consumption by one individual does not reduce the availability for others. This concept covers non-market services like national defense.
COHEN and HENRY (1998), introduce the two aspects of efficiency and fairness to characterize the activities and public service missions. According to them, public service is also an expression of solidarity and concern for the public service missions contribute to the reduction of inequalities related to income or physical disabilities. They have among other things, the three main categories of service functions public as:
- Those who seek to make them physically and financially accessible to users at risk of exclusion (due to severe disabilities, critical situations, inadequate incomes) of essential services they need in appropriate forms;
- Those who, beyond strictly the fight against exclusion contribute to social cohesion and sense of belonging to the national community;
- Those who seek to promote the efficient use and balanced in space and time, territory and common resources.
The concept of public service is linked to its missions, in their economic definition are classified under the heading of public utilities (Mirabel et al., 2001).
[1] These items were taken from the French Conseil d'Etat of June 28, 1963.
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