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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• 660 simplification initiatives and 5590 legal acts repealed since 2006.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