Smart regulation in support of competitiveness and SME's

The incoming rotating presidency of the EU Council (Lithuania, from July) hosted on 5-7 June the semi-annual meeting of the directors and experts of better regulation (DEBR). This is a regular opportunity for experts from member states to informally exchange on recent developments and good practice, and discuss the EU smart regulation agenda and way forward. The organisers have just released the follow-up to this important meeting, by uploading the agenda and a good number of presentations on the website of the LT ministry of economy.

According to the organisers (unfortunately your blogger could not attend), delegates:

• heard how the methodologies for competitiveness proofing, full compliance costs and cumulative assessments are progressing;
• discussed the vital importance of communication to and with stakeholders, particularly business; and
• talked for the first time in this group about inspection, advice and enforcement – such a vital part of the regulatory life cycle.

There is a signficant amount of new material in the presentations, which will be very useful to experts, whether they were or not at the meeting. Most noteworthy, an update on the CAR methodology already presented at the Dublin meeting in December, a study of RIA in Germany, and of course the new subject in that forum: inspections (see also news from OECD, below).

The website also presents "Better Regulation in Lithuania" showing how it developped, on the basis of the administrative burden programme, into a major component of the business environmnent policy.

See also our "history of DEBR (2006-2010."