Commission defines smart regulation

Experts interested in the newly adopted concept of smart regulation in the European Commission will check the recently published Commission Working Programme for 2010 COM(2010) 135 final, pages 10-11: in the section "Modernising EU instruments and ways of working", smart regulation, defined as an initiative to ensure that EU policies are effective, seeks to ensure "a high quality regulatory framework for citizens and businesses". It proposes ways of "fully connecting and integrating" throughout the regulatory cycle the available "smart regulation instruments". These are listed as: impact assessment, "Simplification, administrative burden reduction and withdrawals" and interventions, including via legal steps, to ensure the full and correct implementation of existing legislation. Other ways of enhancing policy making are improved "Communicating Europe" and "adapting the EU financial framework to serve policy priorities".
The working programme also provides a list of policy initiatives scheduled for adoption in 2010, useful for stakeholders wishing to take part in future consultations.