Economic regulators help ensure access to and quality of public utilities, facilitate infrastructure investment and protect market neutrality. They play a crucial role in supporting sustainable and inclusive growth and trust in public institutions. The role of the regulator, how it co-ordinates with other public institutions, the powers it is given and how it is held accountable for exercising these powers together form a governance architecture. This architecture needs to be well crafted and appropriately implemented, if the regulator is to succeed in combining effective regulation with a high level of trust.

Accountability and transparency are translated into practice through formal and informal measures. Formal accountability is fundamental, as regulatory agencies have significant powers, and their decisions affect investment decisions, property rights, financial returns, fees and charges paid by users.

This chapter presents an overview of the governance of regulators, drawing on the OECD Best Practice Principles on the Governance of Regulators. It identifies some general trends related to accountability, transparency and co-ordination.

This chapter offers an overview of the formal and practical arrangements related to accountability, transparency & co-ordination put in place by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the Australian Energy Regulator (AER), Portugal's Water and Waste Services Regulation Authority (ERSAR) and the UK Office of Rail and Road (ORR). It then identifies some guiding lessons that can help guide the implementation of accountability, transparency and co-ordination.

This chapter presents the arrangements and practices related to accountability and transparence put in place by the Australian Energy Regulator. It then presents some of these arrangements and practices put in place by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission in relation to telecommunications regulation.

This chapter presents some of the arrangements and practices related to coordination put in place by Portugal's Water and Waste Services Regulation Authority.

This chapter presents some of the arrangements and practices related to accountability and transparency put in place by the UK Office of Rail and Road.

This chapter presents some of the key reforms introduced by Mexico in relation to energy, telecommunications and competition and some of the related changes in the governance of regulators.