The EU's agenda for better regulation

 

SUMMARY OF:

Communication COM(2015) 215 final — the EU’s agenda for better regulation

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE COMMUNICATION?

This communication sets out a package of reforms for improving EU law and policymaking to ensure that laws and policies are based on sound evidence, are well designed and bring tangible and sustainable benefits for EU citizens.

KEY POINTS

The package builds on existing procedures and processes for improving EU law and policymaking, including impact assessments, evaluations, public consultations and the regulatory fitness and performance programme (REFIT).

Specifically, the package provides for:

• greater openness and transparency through more extensive public consultation and better explanations of proposed laws and policies;
• closer scrutiny of existing laws and policies, for instance through the establishment of a new, strengthened Regulatory Scrutiny Board to assess the quality of impact assessments and check evaluations of existing laws;
• a proposal for a new interinstitutional agreement between the Parliament, the Council and the European Commission which will aim to ensure that all parties legislate better, for example, by prioritising initiatives that improve existing laws and conducting impact assessments of any substantial amendments by the Parliament or Council to legislation proposed by the Commission;
• better evaluation of existing legislation notably through a strengthened REFIT programme. Through REFIT, the EU assesses existing EU legislation to make it more effective and efficient without compromising policy objectives. REFIT will become more targeted, looking at the most serious sources of inefficiency and unnecessary burdens, and better embedded in the Commission’s decision-making process and will also quantify the costs and benefits of actions wherever possible;
• the creation of a REFIT Platform to advise the Commission on identifying initiatives to make EU law more effective and efficient;
• new actions to reduce burdens in areas such as public procurement, for example, by creating a standard data form for small and medium-sized businesses in place of the current complex procurement documentation;
• better implementation of EU laws through enhanced cooperation with EU countries on ways to ensure compliance with them.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

• Better regulation (European Commission).

MAIN DOCUMENT

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions ‘Better regulation for better results — An EU agenda’ (COM(2015) 215 final of 19.5.2015)

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — Completing the Better Regulation Agenda: Better solutions for better results (COM(2017) 651 final, 24.10.2017)

Commission staff working document — Overview of the Union's efforts to simplify and to reduce regulatory burdens accompanying the document Communication Completing the Better Regulation Agenda: Better solutions for better results (SWD(2017) 675 final, 24.10.2017)

last update 28.09.2015