Implementing regulatory innovations in Europe: the case of impact assessment

Fabrizio De Francesco, Claudio M. Radaelli, Vera E. Troeger

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

33 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) has become a major tool on the agenda of regulatory reform across Europe. Although the literature on RIA is burgeoning, the comparative analysis of implementation has been neglected. This article draws on implementation theory to formulate expectations about the political costs and benefits of different degrees of implementation. Implementation ranges from political endorsement to the creation of central units in charge of regulatory quality and the production and publication of RIA results and methods. Our findings show that economic integration, the characteristics of the political system, economic resources, bureaucratic efficiency and pressure group activities play different roles in the various stages of implementation. We discuss the policy implications of these findings in terms of priorities given to different processes of regulatory reform and the demands that innovations like RIA pose on administrative capacity and stakeholders’ participation.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)491-511
Number of pages21
JournalJournal of European Public Policy
Volume19
Issue number4
Early online date26 Aug 2011
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2012

Keywords

  • regulatory impact assessment
  • better regulation
  • European Union
  • governance
  • implementation
  • regulation

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