Better Regulation in the EU is a perennial and topical question which has important implications for the future direction of EU law. While actions directed at improving the quality and accessibility of EU regulation are not novel, in recent years the Better Regulation Agenda has significantly affected the structural organisation and day-to-day operation of the EU legislative process. Yet, many questions about the future of the Agenda remain, not least in light of Brexit. Exploring the Better Regulation Agenda (and its relation to the overall EU legal and political order) necessitates an integrated, interdisciplinary approach. This edited volume presents insights from economics, political science and legal scholarship. Furthermore, to allow full understanding, it examines institutional practice, where the Agenda is made and shaped on a daily basis. Hence, the book features contributions from the perspective of the work of the main EU institutions: the European Commission, the Parliament, the Council and the Court of Justice. This results in a seminal overview of the subject, of interest to scholars and practitioners alike.

The EU better regulation agenda is being reviewed by the European Commission, with the aim of improving its effectiveness with respect to the quality of EU legislation. This paper takes stock on the results achieved so far and points at a number of issues that could be tackled in Brussels in the years to come to improve the design of the better regulation system at the EU level. Measures are proposed to strengthen the accountability of the Commission in the selection of proposals that should undergo impact assessment, and in the application of the principle of proportionate analysis. In addition, this paper tackles the delicate issue of oversight - i.e., who should control the quality of IAs produced by Commission DGs - and discusses potential solutions to the current failure of the Common Approach to impact assessment. Moreover, the paper looks at the difficult co-existence of the impact assessment model with the Standard Cost Model currently being used to measure and eventually reduce administrative burdens. Finally, the paper proposes a number of changes in the role of IA and the SCM in the policy cycle. Some of the key insights of the paper are that: (i) the choice to perform IA on given proposals should be more effectively targeted at addressing key strategic priorities identified by the Council every year; (ii) that the Commission should be called to perform IA on any major amendment proposed by the Parliament and the Council during the co-decision procedure; (iii) that the SCM should be applied on any new Commission proposal, regardless of whether the proposal is subject to IA or not, and should also be updated after co-decision; and (iv) that given the stronger role played by the Commission in selecting and scrutinising proposals until they become legislation, there would be a strong need for some form of external oversight, limited to proposals that are awarded priority in the EU agenda.

The European Union and its member states are investing in ambitious programmes for ‘better regulation’ and targets of regulatory quality. This book, available in paperback for the first time, lifts the veil of excessively optimistic propositions covering the whole better regulation agenda. It provides an innovative conceptual framework to handle the political complexity of regulatory governance. It approaches better regulation as an emerging public policy, with its own political context, actors, problems, rules of interaction, instruments, activities and impacts. Focusing on the key tools of impact assessment, consultation, simplification, and access to legislation, the authors provide fresh empirical evidence on the progress made in the member states and in Brussels, drawing on an extensive research project and an original survey of directors of better regulation programmes in Europe. Radaelli and De Francesco show how indicators define, measure, and appraise better regulation policy, linking measures to policy processes in which the stakeholders learn by monitoring. Although better regulation is a top priority for competitiveness in Europe and the legitimacy of EU policy, the level of commitment and the development of tools vary considerably. The major challenge for better regulation is institutionalisation - this calls for clear choices in terms of what the EU wants from better regulation. Essential reading for academics (political scientists, lawyers, and public economists) and policy-makers in charge of regulatory reforms in governments and international organisations.

Laws and regulations affect the daily lives of businesses and citizens. High-quality laws promote national welfare and growth, while badly designed laws hinder growth, harm the environment and put the health of citizens at risk. This report analyses practices to improve the quality of laws ...

This report maps and analyses the core issues which together make up effective regulatory management for the United Kingdom, laying down a framework of what should be driving regulatory policy and reform in the future.