1. Better Environmental Regulation: Opportunities for Policy Dialogue
Brendan Gillespie
Head, EAP Task Force Secretariat
OECD
Belgrade, 11 October 2007

2. Outline Why regulatory reform? Main trends in OECD countries
Reform efforts in EECCA
Priority areas for action in EECCA

3. Why regulatory reform? Regulation necessary
but should be efficient and effective
is linked to competitiveness, growth and employment
and to the rule of law and anti-corruption
For regulators: complexity; lack of priorities; sticks rather than carrots; process rather than results; insufficient means
For regulatees: complexity; lack of information; duplicative demands; burden on scarce resources especially for SMEs
Regulatory reform initiatives: e.g. NL, UK, EC

4. Main Trends in OECD countries
Compulsory use of Regulatory Impact Assessment
Simplification of the regulatory framework
Reduction of administrative burden on businesses
Risk-based targeting of compliance assurance
Cross-media integration of environmental regulation
Improvement the proportionality of enforcement
Greater emphasis to compliance assurance
Shift to outcome-oriented performance measurement

5. Reform Efforts in EECCA
2003 adoption by EAP Task Force of:
Guiding Principles for Reform of Environmental Enforcement Authorities in Transition Economies
Guiding Principles of Effective Environmental Permitting Systems (2007)
Improving environmental regulatory requirements (e.g. Environmental Code in Kazakhstan)
Environmental permitting reform (e.g. plans for integrated permitting in Ukraine, Kazakhstan)
Increased compliance promotion (e.g. performance rating in Russia, Ukraine)
Integrated, better targeted inspections (e.g. in Georgia, Kazakhstan)

6. Priority Areas for Action in EECCA
Increase the effectiveness of the environmental policy framework
Improve compliance assurance strategies and performance management
Better use preventative instruments to promote compliance
Continue institutional strengthening