Colette Lewiner of Capgemini, a consultancy, predicts a compromise, such as full unbundling of electricity grids and arm's-length ownership of gas networks.But Ms Kroes is determined to push for a truly free market by using her department's antitrust powers.
The average length of ownership last year was 57 months, the longest on record.
One possibility that has been suggested is a sliding scale on which voting power increases with length of ownership.
"If you look at the average length of ownership of a stock, the period is declining," Mr. Devitt said.
"If you are the kind of consumer who is going to keep the vehicle for a long time -- and we know the average expected length of ownership is in the six-plus-year range -- you should migrate to those vehicles that have a better reputation for quality," said George Owens, manager of product research for J. D. Power, a marketing information services firm based in Agoura Hills, Calif.
One final metric that warrants mention: length of ownership.
IHS Market reported that the average length of ownership hit 79 months in 2016 (latest data available), up from 52 months in 2006.
So how much you might owe to the French tax authority depends on more than just the size of the capital gain but also the length of ownership.
It doesn't make sense to flip due to high closing costs and high capital gains taxes set according to the length of ownership.
Length of ownership was significantly longer for NFP versus FP facilities.
Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; ESRD, end-stage renal disease; IRR, incident rate ratio; LOO, length of ownership; PtY, patient-years.
