First Vice-President of the Commission, Frans Timmermans,exchanged views with IMCO on the EU's better regulation agenda. The Commission is expected to issue a package of 'better law-making' initiatives at the end of April, including an update of the REFIT framework and initiatives, a proposal for a revised inter-institutional agreement and new guidelines for impact assessments and a revised Impact Assessment Board.
The Commissioner explained his motivation to support SMEs and to help enable legislation that is easy to implement and to apply, and that does not create excessive administrative costs (or is at least based on a sound understanding of the costs incurred). He promised closer cooperation between the three EU institutions - the Parliament, Council and Commission -and reassured that the better regulation agenda should not come at the detriment of consumer rights, or social and environmental standards. He underlined the Commission's new approach with a more streamlined and political agenda, as evidenced in the work programme 2015, and formally announced the forth coming review proposals. This includes especially the review of the Commission's impact assessment board,stating his interest in an independent board that could serve the 3 institutions and provide impact assessments, including of compromises reached in political negotiations.
Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP