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SG C
Smart Regulation: Regulatory Fitness
High Level Group on Administrative Burden17 October 2013
Elizabeth Golberg, Secretariat-General, European Commission
Regulatory Fitness and Performance Programme ("REFIT”)
• Identify burdens, inconsistencies, gaps and ineffective measures across acquis (‘Mapping’)
• Take action: withdraw, repeal, simplify • Assess: Carry out REFIT evaluations and Fitness
Checks• Consult: Involve Stakeholders• Track Progress: Scoreboarding
SG*C22.04.2013 2
Results … building on a strong foundation
• Impact Assessment (IA) for all proposals with significant impacts prepared through stakeholder consultation; Quality Control/Scrutiny through the Impact Assessment Board: More than 600 IAs, over 500 IAB opinions since 2007.
• Administrative Burden Reduction (ABR) by 26% (32.3 billion €) in 13 priority areas. ABR+ to explore results on the ground.
• 660 simplification initiatives and 5590 legal acts repealed since 2006.
• Focus on SMEs: micro-exemptions; 'think small first'; Top Ten and its follow-up.
REFIT RESULTS
Simplification Proposals with Legislator: 21
New initiatives in preparation: 23
Evaluations and Fitness checks: 31 planned; 16 underway.
6 Withdrawals and 9 Repeals.
31.01.2013 4SG C
Other REFIT Actions
• Working Within the Legislative Framework: Reducing fees, reporting, inspections etc; making more information available on the web (e.g. VAT)
• Methods: Strengthening Smart Regulation Tools• Working in Partnership: EU Institutions,
Member States, Stakeholders• Scoreboarding: keeping track of progress.
31.01.2013 6SG C
Strengthening Smart Regulation Tools
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Improving Evaluation
• Red tape reduction and simplification mainstreamed in evaluation
• "Evaluate First Principle" – Better Planning• More attention to broader areas of legislation and
cross-cutting issues (via Fitness Checks)• Quality support and scrutiny• Pilot joint evaluations with Member States• Review of Evaluation Guidelines in 2014
COM (2013)686, Strengthening the foundations of Smart Regulation – improving evaluation
8SG C
Improving the IA system
• Improve the ex-ante assessment of costs and benefits
• Include a 2-page summary sheet in IA reports
• Review IA guidelines in 2014• Strengthen user-friendliness• Reinvigorating sustainable competitiveness and
the integrated approach
Improving Stakeholder Consultation
• Extension to 12 weeks for open internet consultations
• Targeted conferences / Focus groups• Rolling Calendar of planned consultations• Better feedback• Wider translation of consultation documents• Up-date of minimum consultation standards and
guidelines
10SG C
Implementation Support
• Best practice exchange.• Information exchange• More systematic and risk-based approach to
conformity assessment.• More systematic preparation of implementation
plans for Directives.
11SG C
A Shared Mission
• Commission + Council + Parliament • Better use of IA in the decision making process
• Member States• National impact assessment and evaluation• More active engagement in consultations/
evaluations – ABR+ and Joint evaluations• Subsidiarity feedback from National Parliaments
and stakeholders
12SG C
Conclusions
• A cultural change – rolling programme integrated into the Commission Work Programme
• Need for commitment at all levels
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