A balanced appraisal? Impact Assessment of European Commission proposals

elni Review ◽  
2007 ◽  
pp. 2-8
Author(s):  
Susan Owens
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
European Commission ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Strategic Approach ◽  
Better Regulation

Decision makers need to be informed about the likely consequences of projects, plans, policies and regulations. This principle has been embodied for many years in procedures like environmental impact assessment and risk assessment. More recently, theory and practice in the field of impact assessment have been influenced by three important trends (the need for a more strategic approach, ‘better regulation’ and more integrated forms of assessment), all of which are evident within (though not restricted to) the European Union. As these developments gain momentum, it is an opportune moment to reflect upon the purpose, practice and effectiveness of impact assessment. We have much to learn from the substantial achievements of well-established procedures such as EIA. But as new approaches, methodologies and guidelines proliferate we may be in danger of losing touch with the fundamentals. How, for example, should we conceptualise the role of impact assessment in policy- and decision-making? Questions like this one are relevant for assessment at all levels of governance, but they are explored here primarily with reference to integrated impact assessments of European Commission proposals (henceforth referred to as ‘IA’). The paper sets out the policy background to this system, and considers the guidelines developed by the Commission for the conduct of such assessments. The paper then turns to experience with IA to date, particularly in relation to the questions identified above. It also proposes a set of principles, which should form a basis for impact assessment if it is to fulfil its role as an element of good governance.

INTEGRATING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT INTO EUROPEAN POLICYMAKING: THE ROLE OF IMPACT ASSESSMENTS

2007 ◽  
Vol 09 (02) ◽  
pp. 141-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
JENNIFER FRANZ ◽  
COLIN KIRKPATRICK
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
European Commission ◽  
Development Strategy ◽  
Environmental Effects ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Policy Proposals

Since the adoption of the EU's first Sustainable Development Strategy in 2001, the European Commission has been committed to undertaking impact assessments of its major policy proposals, covering the potential positive and negative economic, social and environmental effects both inside and outside the European Union. This paper provides as evaluation of a sample of the Commission's recent EC Impact Assessments, focusing on the extent to which the goal of sustainable development has been integrated into the impact assessment analysis.

scholarly journals The Role of Intuition and Prognostic Risk Assessment Regarding the Leave of Offenders with Mental Disorders

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
C. Schmitt
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Psychological Factors ◽  
Methodological Problem ◽  
German Law ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Mentally Ill Offenders ◽  
Rare Occurrence ◽  
German State

The granting of leave during terms of imprisonment plays an important part in the treatment of mentally ill offenders. According to German law, leave is to be granted in those cases where the abuse of this privilege or an attempt to flee can be negated. These regulations also, however, imply that the risk assessment of a patient's offence-related recidivism can not be the only criterion for the granting of leave.So far, there have only been few studies about the prognostic risk assessment of the general abuse of leave. This is rather astonishing, as the granting of leave outside the institutional grounds, in particular, is a decision which often leaves those responsible fraught with anxiety. Furthermore, the abuse of a granted temporary release can lead to severe consequences on various levels.As part of a study to be conducted in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, decisions about granting leave are to be analyzed and possible predictors of the abuse of leave are to be examined.It is assumed that the abuse of leave is likely to be motivated by the conditions of particular situations and can primarily be explained by normal psychological factors.However, it should be pointed out that, as the abuse of leave is such a rare occurrence, it poses a significant methodological problem. The criterion to be examined therefore needs to be exactly defined and particular attention must be paid to achieve an adequately high interreliability of the decision makers.

INTRODUCTION: HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT AND THE EUROPEAN UNION

2000 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 299-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Banta ◽  
Wija Oortwijn
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
European Union ◽  
Health Technology Assessment ◽  
European Commission ◽  
Technology Assessment ◽  
Health Technology ◽  
The European Union ◽  
European Level

Health technology assessment (HTA) has become increasingly important in the European Union as an aid to decision making. As agencies and programs have been established, there is increasing attention to coordination of HTA at the European level, especially considering the growing role of the European Union in public health in Europe. This series of papers describes and analyzes the situation with regard to HTA in the 15 members of the European Union, plus Switzerland. The final paper draws some conclusions, especially concerning the future involvement of the European Commission in HTA.

ICTs, Public Access to Documents, and Transparency in the European Union

2014 ◽  
pp. 192-200
Author(s):  
Marios Papandreou
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Public Access ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Legislative Framework ◽  
The Public Sphere ◽  
Access To Documents

This chapter examines the relationship between Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and transparency in the public sphere. The link between the two is rather easy to conceive: ICTs facilitate flow and management of information, which is crucial to achieve openness and accountability and advance public debate. In this chapter, the issue is examined in the context of the European Union (EU), from the point of view of public access to documents and the role of the European Ombudsman (EO). The author presents the applicable legislative framework and discusses the role of the EO in facilitating and promoting public access to documents, with emphasis on the EO's mandate, the procedure followed, and its possible outcomes. The last part of the chapter examines the decision of the EO on a recent case concerning public access to documents of interest to a wide public, whereby it is illustrated that ICTs, by facilitating access to documents and information, advance openness, transparency, good governance, and accountability.

From a Protectorate to a Member State of the European Union

2022 ◽  
pp. 278-296
Author(s):  
Liliana Reis
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Member State ◽  
European Commission ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Western Balkans ◽  
Independent State ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
Academic Debate

The European Union was present in Kosovo even before the declaration of its independence. However, it was after 2008 and at the request of the Kosovar authorities to EU that Kosovo inaugurated a period of close ties with the organization, through the rule of law mission it launched for the country and through various programs of the European Commission, including the European Partnership Action Plan (EPAP) for Kosovo, Mechanism of the Stabilization and Association Process, and the Instrument of Pre-Accession (IPA). This chapter seeks to examine the evolution of European presence on Kosovo by analysing EULEX mission and other European instruments and the achievements by newly former states in achieving the Copenhagen criteria, contributing to the academic debate on the role of European Union aid in the new Western Balkans states for their emancipation and possible access to the organization. It also evaluates the mutualisation of responsibilities and maintenance of the European status quo in Kosovo, fostering a protectorate in an independent state.

8. The Commission Services: A powerful permanent bureaucracy

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liesbet Hooghe ◽  
Christian Rauh
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
European Commission ◽  
Agenda Setting ◽  
International Organization ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Eu Governance ◽  
Organization Models

This chapter examines the functions and organization of the European Commission services, arguing that they are a bureaucracy with unique agenda-setting powers at the heart of the European Union polity. It begins with an overview of the origins and evolution of the Commission services, focusing on the influence of Jean Monnet, first President of the High Authority of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), and how the services were shaped by national bureaucratic models as well as international organization models. The chapter proceeds by discussing the Commission services’ powers, structure, and functioning and what the officials think about the role of the institution with respect to agenda-setting, nationality, and EU governance. It argues that while the Commission bureaucracy has become more circumspect of bold political initiatives, neither its capacity nor its will to play a strong policy role in Europe have been significantly weakened.

scholarly journals Regulatory Measurements in Policy Coordinated Practices: The Case of Promoting Renewable Energy and Cleaner Transport in Sweden

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Hansson ◽  
Lena Nerhagen
Keyword(s):  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Policy Coordination ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Eu Directive ◽  
Better Regulation ◽  
Regulatory Impact ◽  
The Eu

International organisations, such as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Union (EU), are seeking to implement a cohesive Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) system in order to achieve better regulation and increased unity and transparency. Central to these evaluations is the use of cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and related tools. A comprehensive analysis of the use of impact assessment in the EU shows that many assessments lack important economic components. This paper draws on an extensive document study of the Swedish policy making process related to the EU Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources. The aim of the paper is to examine how CBA is presented, negotiated and accounted for by central actors within a policy setting influenced by negotiation and policy coordination. The paper departs from a theoretical perspective on policy coordination and shows how this factor must be considered when explaining the low use of CBA. It concludes that the Swedish policy tradition, wherein the national government relies on consensus-based coordination between agencies, might counteract a more explicit assessment of different policy options. The paper also proposes a model that can be used for further studies on CBA and policy coordination.

The Role of Regulatory Impact Assessment in Fighting Climate Change and the Economic Downturn: A EU-US Perspective

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 251-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacopo Torriti ◽  
Ragnar Lofstedt
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Regulatory Competition ◽  
Economic Downturn ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Us ◽  
Regulatory Impact ◽  
The Eu

In times of low economic growth and post-Copenhagen climate talks, a number of reasons for regulatory competition and cooperation between the United States and the European Union coexist. This paper discusses the role of Impact Assessment between the US and the EU on responses to the economic downturn and climate change. It is argued that, in the future, IAs will be an instrument through which it will be possible to read the level of cooperation and competition between the US and the EU, particularly on economic trade and environmental regulation.

SHORT CONSIDERATIONS ON BETTER REGULATION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-102
Author(s):  
Sorina ȘERBAN-BARBU
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
European Commission ◽  
Regulatory Environment ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Administrative Burden ◽  
Better Regulation

The paper aims to identify the importance of better regulation at EU level and also presents the strategies used to simplify the regulatory environment and to reduce the regulatory administrative burden. We analyze the principles set out by the European Commission and we identify methods of simplifying the regulatory environment.

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