On 29-30 May, the Competitiveness Council adopted draft conclusions on smart regulation, as a follow-up to the communication on “EU regulatory fitness” and the communication “Smart regulation: responding to the needs of SMEs”. The conclusions urge the implementation, by all actors involved, of measures contained in the communications leading to tangible reductions in the overall burden of regulation for businesses, especially small ones, as well as simplification for end-users.
They contain inter alia a new, balanced definition of Smart Regulation which "is about achieving benefits at minimum cost, and means ensuring that: the potential costs and benefits of non-regulation and non-action are considered; alternatives to regulation are considered; regulation is evidence-based, in particular by means of robust Impact Assessment, and fit for purpose; the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality are respected; administrative procedures are efficient; unnecessary costs are removed without undermining the policy goals of regulation; overlaps, inconsistencies and gaps are identified and removed; and both effectiveness and efficiency are reviewed on a regular basis.
This edition of the Conclusions is useful in that the Irish presidency has obtained a clear schedule of works till the end of this year: the text calls on the EC to publish "before the summer 2013 the results of its mapping exercise; and in the autumn all planned REFIT initiatives starting from the 2014 work programme, prioritising those arising from the ‘Top Ten’ consultation; and by end 2013 the results of the pilot fitness checks launched before 2012."
The six pages contain many other valuable developments.
They contain inter alia a new, balanced definition of Smart Regulation which "is about achieving benefits at minimum cost, and means ensuring that: the potential costs and benefits of non-regulation and non-action are considered; alternatives to regulation are considered; regulation is evidence-based, in particular by means of robust Impact Assessment, and fit for purpose; the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality are respected; administrative procedures are efficient; unnecessary costs are removed without undermining the policy goals of regulation; overlaps, inconsistencies and gaps are identified and removed; and both effectiveness and efficiency are reviewed on a regular basis.
This edition of the Conclusions is useful in that the Irish presidency has obtained a clear schedule of works till the end of this year: the text calls on the EC to publish "before the summer 2013 the results of its mapping exercise; and in the autumn all planned REFIT initiatives starting from the 2014 work programme, prioritising those arising from the ‘Top Ten’ consultation; and by end 2013 the results of the pilot fitness checks launched before 2012."
The six pages contain many other valuable developments.
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