Better Regulation

EESC opinion: Better Regulation

Key points

Better and smart regulation is a common task for all the European institutions and the Member States to the benefit of the public, business, consumers and employees. It does not, however, replace political decisions.

In its opinion, the EESC:

  • welcomes the fact that the better regulation measures will cover the entire life cycle of a legal act and that both ex-ante and ex-post measures will thus be covered;
  • notes that its views have not been given sufficient consideration, notwithstanding the role and function in the better regulation agenda assigned to it in the EU Treaties and the cooperation agreements with the European Commission and the European Parliament, as well as its considerable work in this area;
  • calls for the EU's consultative bodies to be included in the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Regulation (IIA);
  • supports the comprehensive involvement of stakeholders through consultations throughout the lifecycle of a political initiative;
  • stresses the need to choose the appropriate stakeholders and calls for independence, impartiality and transparency in the choice of experts for the various bodies;
  • calls for the inclusion of self- and co-regulation in the IIA and for more transparency in the implementation of informal trilogues and argues for the limited use of this instrument;
  • calls for a stronger Commission focus on shortcomings in the transposition and application of EU law by the Member States, and for the use of regulations instead of directives.

Related EESC opinions -  Appendix to the opinion

Regulatory simplification


Self and co-regulation

Application and Implementation

Better Regulation

REFIT and Assessments

Single Market

Downloads

Abstract from EESC Opinions
Appendix - list of related EESC opinions