Organizing a Government wide programme of Regulatory Reform LUIGI CARBONE Deputy Director, Regulatory Simplification Unit Prime Minister Office – Italy Singapore, 21 February 2001
Luigi Carbone - Organizing a Government wide programme of Regulatory Reform - Singapore, 21 February Not a single model (nor a single Italian recipe), but … Some common problems … … some common phenomena … … some common “basic ingredients” … … some specific tools of Regulatory Quality
Luigi Carbone - Organizing a Government wide programme of Regulatory Reform - Singapore, 21 February Some common problems Key role of Regulatory systems to boost economic growth and consumers’ benefits Weaknesses of the traditional “command and control” regulatory style in the last decades Deregulation (and <) High Quality Regulation
Luigi Carbone - Organizing a Government wide programme of Regulatory Reform - Singapore, 21 February Some common phenomena Regulatory Reform is part of a more general Government Reform Regulatory Quality is becoming an “autonomous public interest”, beside sectoral ones … Concrete consequences: - in the Governments (ad hoc Units, specific PM delegations) - in the Parliaments (ad hoc, “bipartisan” Committees) Some interesting characteristics: - lack of relevance of the peculiarities of constitutional systems - the sunset of the “lawyers’ monopoly”
Luigi Carbone - Organizing a Government wide programme of Regulatory Reform - Singapore, 21 February Some common “basic ingredients” A specific policy and a sustained political support A multidisciplinary approach Clear objectives and measurement of results Involving citizens and business: a more “recipient-oriented” Regulation Creation of a regulatory management Similar tools also for Regional, Local and “Independent” sectoral Regulation
Luigi Carbone - Organizing a Government wide programme of Regulatory Reform - Singapore, 21 February Some specific tools: for new Regulation - 1 Regulatory Impact Analysis (from 10 to 18 in OECD): - not a mere arithmetical analysis, but a tool to give the rule-makers the “awareness” … - applicable to all kind of “relevant” Regulation (also “technical”, Regional and “Independent”) - not an ex post justification, but to be set up at the beginning of the regulatory process, considering both alternative Regulatory options and… Alternatives options to Regulation
Luigi Carbone - Organizing a Government wide programme of Regulatory Reform - Singapore, 21 February Some specific tools: for new Regulation - 2 Consultation: - instrument of transparency and democracy - the best way to know the true critical points of Regulation - part of RIA - the example of business test panels - the Italian “Osservatorio per la semplificazione” both to prepare and to monitor Reforms Compliance analysis
Luigi Carbone - Organizing a Government wide programme of Regulatory Reform - Singapore, 21 February Some specific tools: on existing Regulation Codification or consolidation Simplification: - common models (silent is consent, one stop shops …) - not a “one shot” policy, but a process (need of a multiannual plan) - importance of: consultation, measurement, ex post monitoring (same tools of the new Regulation`s ones!)… Trying to merge Codification and Simplification The Italian case of delegislation ( deregulation)
Luigi Carbone - Organizing a Government wide programme of Regulatory Reform - Singapore, 21 February Some specific tools: the use of IT On line updated version of existing Regulation (> Official Gazette on line!) On line Parliament bills and works On line consultation (“notice and comments” model) Central Electronic Register of bureaucratic formalities (for business, but not only …)
Luigi Carbone - Organizing a Government wide programme of Regulatory Reform - Singapore, 21 February Some specific tools: the structures Sectoral Ministries are the first responsible for Regulatory Quality, but … … often a Central Unit (from 4 to 20 in OECD) can be very useful The importance of involving the Parliaments
Luigi Carbone - Organizing a Government wide programme of Regulatory Reform - Singapore, 21 February Good Luck! A Government wide programme of Regulatory Reform: will constantly risk failure, but … will take quite a long time (2/4 years), but … will need a large consensus, but … …but can be successfully conducted … … and can be effectively encouraged by OECD and APEC