Piped water supply and usage and the question of services of general interest: a spatial panel data analysis

The services of general interest (SGI) hold an important place in relation to the European model society, referring functions and objectives that are essential for implementation fundamental citizen rights accomplishment economic, social territorial cohesion goals. SGI reflect obligation public authorities provide them at certain standards terms quality, availability, accessibility affordability. Besides socio-economic dimension involved these discussions, which envisages provision everyone, has be considered too, as it emphasises everywhere. In this paper, inquiry into piped water consumption differentiates between households firms. We explored topic by means various spatial panel models, account effects emerging via cooperation, imitation or cross-country spillovers neighbour regions. Given characteristics geographic, economic factors envisaged our research, we hypothesised significant influences among counties; therefore, is appropriate way avoid misspecification problems related estimation interpretation standard (non-spatial) data model. It applied specific case Romania highly relevant availability criteria, considering amplitude disparities not only regions but also urban rural environments, a country with more than 43% its population living areas, still lagging behind when comes basic infrastructure necessary decent living.