John Shaw, Department of the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Report on Better Regulation Issues Directors General Responsible for Public Administration in the EU Dublin 28 May 2004 John Shaw, Department of the Taoiseach (Prime Minister)

Introduction Better Regulation: Progress during Irish Presidency 2. Meetings and Work of the Directors of Better Regulation Department of the Taoiseach

Topics Spring European Council / Four Presidency Joint Initiative Specific Actions at EU level Directors of Better Regulation (DBR) Meetings Presidency Conferences Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) project Discussion on Future Role of DBR Department of the Taoiseach

Four Presidency Initiative Ireland, Netherlands, Lux., UK Reply by Commission President Prodi ECOFIN: Breakfast Discussion High Level Group on Competitiveness: three ‘virtual’ groups Key Issues Papers for SEC Department of the Taoiseach

Spring European Council Welcomed Joint Initiative References to: - refining Commission’s IA process - competitiveness dimension of IA - administrative burden - simplification - accelerated reform by Member States Return to issue at November Council Department of the Taoiseach

Specific Actions (1) Impact Assessment: Commission to refine procedures Information relevant to IA for consultations Council use of Commission IAs Pilot approach on IA of Council amendments Informal Network between institutions Department of the Taoiseach

Specific Actions (2) Simplification Council to agree priority areas Outcome of research projects Interinstitutional Agreement (para 36) Administrative Burdens Method to assess admin. burdens on business (at EU level) Department of the Taoiseach

Specific Actions (3) Indicators EU and Member State level Commission projects: DG Enterprise, DG Markt, Secretariat General Consultation European Business Test Panel Department of the Taoiseach

Directors of Better Regulation DBR meeting, The Hague, Feb. ‘04 Commission updates; MAP indicators project. Presentations by member states Administrative burden: workshop / project initiated Bert Doorn, MEP: IA in European Parliament Informal DBR, Dublin, May ’04. Report on Phase 1 of RIA project Discussion on future role of DBR Updates on MAP and Admin. Burdens Projects Department of the Taoiseach

Presidency Conferences Irish Business and Employers’ Confederation, April 04: ‘Is Regulation killing Business – EU and US Perspectives’ Opened by Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, T.D., Irish Presidency Conference, May 04: “Contribution of Better Regulation to Competitiveness and Social Progress”. Department of the Taoiseach

RIA Project Comparative Analysis of RIA in ten countries Launched during Italian Presidency Resourced by Italy, Ireland, Netherlands Compare sample RIAs from ten countries Five core aspects identified Good practice examples Launch of phase 2 Department of the Taoiseach

Debate on future of DBR Paper prepared by Presidency. Issues – substantive and procedural. General support for future role of Group – question of how best to add value. New Member States. Small group to develop ideas further. Consider at December meeting. Department of the Taoiseach

Next Steps Ambitious work programme at EU level November European Council Autumn Conference on Simplification (NL) DBR in Luxembourg, December RIA and Administrative Burden projects Presidency Priority up to end-2005 Department of the Taoiseach

John Shaw, Department of the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Report on Better Regulation Issues Directors General Responsible for Public Administration in the EU Dublin 28 May 2004 John Shaw, Department of the Taoiseach (Prime Minister)