Better Regulation - Presidency Conclusions
summaries
The Presidency Conclusions of the European Council provide information
on a range of current issues affecting the Council. There is often
particular reference to Better Regulation through the Lisbon Agenda discussions.
Below are a number of summaries of Better Regulation content from the
European Council Presidency Conclusions.
You
can read the full text of the Presidency Conclusions on the European
Council website.
Use the links below to view each Presidency Conclusion Better Regulation
summary:
Brussels European Council - November 2004
The European Council noted with satisfaction that a programme of actions
was undertaken to drive forward the joint initiative on better regulation.
EU institutions have made good progress towards developing a common
methodology for impact assessments and adapting working methods for the
simplification programme, as provided for in the Inter-institutional
Agreement on Better Lawmaking (47KB).
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Brussels European Council - 24 and 25 March
2004
Better regulation at both European and national levels will enhance
competitiveness and productivity. The European Council welcomes the recent
four-Presidency initiative on better regulation and calls on the Council
to pursue a programme of actions to drive this forward over the coming
year.
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Thessaloniki European Council -
19th and 20th June 2003
The European Council, took note of the state of implementation of the
various remits issued by the 2003 Spring European Council. The Council
Conclusions that were reached supported the better regulation agenda:
"…
it [The European Council] welcomes in particular… the agreements
reached on Better Regulation, in the form of an inter-institutional agreement
between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission."
Read the
Inter-Institutional
Agreement on Better Lawmaking (PDF 47KB)
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Brussels European Council - 20th and
21st March 2003
The Spring European Council in Brussels signalled its agreement on the
priority objectives for the European Union concerning the Lisbon reform
programme. The Council Conclusions support the better European regulation agenda
as contributing to enterprise and entrepreneurship in the EU.
"
The European Council…calls for rapid implementation of the Action
Plan "Simplifying and improving the regulatory environment" and
conclusion before its June meeting of the Inter-institutional Agreement
on better regulation; for rapid follow-up to the Commission’s proposals
on updating and simplifying the Community acquis; and for Member States
to improve further the performance and efficiency of public administrations; …welcomes
the Commission’s intention to ensure that as a rule all major proposed
EU legislation will be preceded by a systematic consultation…and
be accompanied by a comprehensive impact assessment."
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Seville European Council - 21st and 22nd
June 2002
The Commission presented its much anticipated Action
Plan for Simplifying
and improving the regulatory environment at this European Council,
where it was acknowledged by Heads of State and Government. The UK welcomed
the production of an Action Plan that
provides a clear strategy with specific measures for achieving better
European regulation. The Council Conclusions invited the European Parliament,
Commission and Council to:
"
adopt an inter-institutional agreement before the end of 2002",
on those aspects of the Action Plan which require the co-operation of
all three of the European institutions. These include for example,
the creation of a programme of simplification aimed at reducing the volume
of Community
Law. The Europe Team works to ensure that the measures included
in the Action Plan are implemented effectively as soon as possible.
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March 2002
The Council Conclusions stated that:
"
Efforts to simplify and improve the regulatory environment will be vigorously
pursued at both national and Community level".
The UK welcomed the reaffirmation in the Conclusions that the Commission
will produce its Action
Plan for Simplifying
and improving the regulatory environment in time for the Seville European Council in June and that it will take
into account the recommendations of the Mandelkern Group. The Conclusions
also contain a specific mention of the Commission's intention to introduce
a system of impact assessment, stating:
"
The European Council notes the intention of the Commission to include,
before the end of 2002, a sustainability dimension in the impact assessment
which will form part of its wider efforts in the field of better regulation"
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Laeken European Council - 14th and 15th
December 2001
The Laeken European Council considered both the Mandelkern
Group report (PDF 205KB)
and a consultative communication Simplifying
and improving the regulatory environment (PDF 94KB)
from the Commission.
The Laeken Conclusions welcomed these contributions and stated that the two documents
should now
"
lead to a practical plan of action in the first half of 2002"
VRead the
Mandelkern Group web page
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Gothenburg European Council - 15th and 16th
June 2001 The
Gothenburg European Council Conclusions announced that the action plan
for better regulation were to be presented to the Laeken European Council
in December. They emphasise the fact that,
" the economic, social and environmental effects of all
policies should be examined in a co-ordinated way and taken into account
in decision-making."
The Conclusions go on to
" underscore the importance of consulting widely with all
relevant stakeholders and invite Member States to establish appropriate
national consultative
processes."
To help secure this, the Conclusions state that the action plan for better
regulation will include mechanisms to make sure all major policy proposals
include a sustainability impact assessment. Importantly, the assessment
cover potential economic, environmental and social consequences.
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Stockholm European Council - 23rd and 24th
March 2001
The UK achieved more of its objectives for better European regulation
at the Stockholm European Council. Building on the achievements of the
Lisbon European council, the UK and its European partners made progress
on both the timing and mechanisms for improving regulation.
The Stockholm Conclusions agreed that the strategy for better regulation
would be delivered by the end of 2001. They confirmed that the European
Commission were responsible for producing the strategy, in co-operation
with relevant groups, primarily the Mandelkern
Group.
They declared that,
" Businesses and citizens need a regulatory environment
which is clear, simple, effective and workable in a rapidly changing
global marketplace."
They also go into detail on how regulation should be improved, for entrepreneurs
in particular, and by means of consultation on proposed regulation, assessment
of the impact of regulations, codification and review of existing legislation.
These four together cover the majority of the UK's aims for European
legislation.
Read the
Mandelkern Group web page
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Lisbon European Council - 23rd and 24th
March 2000
The first major breakthrough on achieving better European regulation
came at the Lisbon European Council. There the efforts of the UK and
our opposite numbers in other Member States gained a high-level political
commitment to better regulation.
The Lisbon Conclusions are specific in their aims and in their proposals
for action. They express the wish to make the EU
"
the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world
capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and
greater social cohesion".
More importantly, they set out how this should happen. This included
recognition of the fact that regulation needs to allow, "investment,
innovation, and entreprenuership". The conclusions went further
to say that this means making more effort to lower the costs of doing
business and remove unnecessary red tape.
" The European institutions, national governments and regional
and local authorities must continue to pay particular attention to the
impact and
compliance costs of proposed regulations, and should pursue their dialogue
with business and citizens with this aim in mind."
The conclusions called for a European Charter for small firms, including
a target of achieving a better regulatory environment. The most explicit
demand for action set a deadline of 2001 for,
"
a strategy for further co-ordinated action to simplify the regulatory
environment… at both national and Community level."
This was a major success for those, like the UK, who are seeking to
improve European regulation and make it easier for businesses and other
groups to flourish. This concrete recognition of the importance of better
European regulation was endorsed at the Feira European Council in June
2000.
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