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Contribution to the Better Regulation Debate

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Claudio M. Radaelli
Affiliation:
Centre for European Governance, University of Exeter UK
Lorna S. Schrefler
Affiliation:
Centre for European Governance, University of Exeter UK, the author writes in her personal capacity

Extract

Two inter–related themes provide the architecture of this better regulation package: the political tone of the initiative and the responsibility/blame game. The tone is in part the consequence of the political context surrounding regulatory policy in the EU. Whilst in the past regulatory quality standards interested only a few top civil servants and elected politicians, today there is much more political interest – and contestation, as shown by the new better regulation watchdog created by non-governmental organizations and their response to the package. The very fact that in May 2015 there was media interest in the leaked version of the chapeau communication is a novelty. Why so much attention? Among others, the rhetoric of the past few years on making the EU acquis fit for purpose and less burdensome, coupled with a growing recognition by stakeholders that impact assessment and policy evaluation are “here to stay” have turned better regulation into an additional window of opportunity for those wishing to influence EU policy–making.

Type
Special Issue on the Better Regulation Package
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015

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References

1 Better Regulation Watchdog Network. 2015. Open letter in response to the Commission proposal for an inter–institutional agreement and the Commission communication on better regulation results.

2 Lang, A. Radaelli CM and J Tosun. 2015. Organizational bureaucratic memories and policy over–reactions. Policy integration in the European Commission. Paper delivered to the joint sessions of workshops of the European Consortium for Political Research, Warsaw, 29 March – 2 April 2015.

3 Mandelkern Group on Better Regulation. 2001. Final report. http://ec.europa.eu/smart-regulation/better_regulation/documents/mandelkern_report.pdf

4 Renda, Andrea, Too good to be true? A quick assessment of the European Commission's better regulation package (Brussels: Centre for European Policy Studies, 2015)Google Scholar.

5 OECD, A framework for regulatory evaluation (Paris, OECD publications, 2014).Google ScholarPubMed