The RIPE NCC's RIR function is a monopoly.
and a lot of the rest seems to descend in what we call NIH fashion from there. HIH is idiomatic for Not Invented Here, a syndrome where no one else does as well as we can, represents 'our' members (as if we were owned and not members of any other sets), ... so we must do everything ourselves because it is soooo much better. it is hard to sort out what is actually needed and appropriate for the registry and what is NIH. as i said some weeks ago
an interesting question, to which i have no answer. i would note the contrast between the four current rirs, with arin being very bare-bones address allocation, lacnic adding more educational outreach as they perceive a need in their region, apnic which does more infrastructure and more outreach work, and ripe/ncc which has major branches into representing isps in policy fora, doing r&d, etc.
but your and johan's points about an organization with one foot standing on a monopolistic position and the other foot competing with the open market may be important. randy