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Better Regulation principles are now being embedded across all formations of the Council of Ministers thanks to progress achieved under the UK and Austrian Presidencies and also to improved impact assessments accompanying legislative proposals from the European Commission. Across the different formations of the Council, the Competitiveness Council takes the lead on policy for Better Regulation. The Council is assisted by the Better Regulation Unit in the Council Secretariat.
The Competitiveness Council's contribution to the Spring Council of 2006 underlined the importance of Better Regulation as a core element of the Lisbon Strategy, urging all institutions and the Member States to implement their commitments, including the use of robust and balanced impact assessment with measurement of administrative costs, and delivering the rolling programme of simplification. Priority sectors also highlighted for potential simplification are the waste, construction and automotive industries.
In consultation with the Council Secretariat and Member States in the Working Group for Competitiveness and Growth, the Austrian Presidency (first half of 2006) produced a handbook for Council Working Group chairs on the use of RIAs in order to embed good practice in Better Regulation across the Council's formations. The UK Presidency and the Austrian Presidency both reported on progress on Better Regulation to the Competitiveness Council.
The European Council is chaired by a rotating Presidency. The last UK Presidency of the Council took place in the second half of 2005 (see UK Presidency of the EU section for information about activities on Better Regulation over that period).