Better regulation toolbox

Chapter 1 – General principles of ‘better regulation’

• TOOL #1. Principles, procedures & exceptions
• TOOL #2. The regulatory fitness programme (REFIT) and the Fit for Future Platform
• TOOL #3. Role of the Regulatory Scrutiny Board
• TOOL #4. Evidence-informed policymaking
• TOOL #5. Legal basis, subsidiarity and proportionality
• TOOL #6. Planning and validation of initiatives

Chapter 2 – How to carry out an impact assessment *

• TOOL #7. What is an impact assessment and when it is necessary
• TOOL #8. What steps should be followed for an impact assessment?
• TOOL #9. Spending programmes, financial instruments and budgetary guarantee
• TOOL #10. Treaty-based social partner consultations and initiatives
• TOOL #11. Format of the impact assessment report
• TOOL #12. How to apply proportionality to impact assessments
• TOOL #13. How to analyse problems
• TOOL #14. Risk assessment and management
• TOOL #15. How to set objectives
• TOOL #16. How to identify policy options
• TOOL #17. The choice of policy instruments

Chapter 3 – Identifying impacts in evaluations, fitness checks and impact assessments *

• TOOL #18. Identification of impacts
• TOOL #19. Sustainable development goals
• TOOL #20. Strategic foresight for impact assessments and evaluations
• TOOL #21. Competitiveness check
• TOOL #22. Research and innovation
• TOOL #23. The ‘SME test’
• TOOL #24. Competition
• TOOL #25. Internal market
• TOOL #26. Prevention of fraud
• TOOL #27. External trade and investment
• TOOL #28. Digital-ready policymaking
• TOOL #29. Fundamental rights, including the promotion of equality
• TOOL #30. Employment, working conditions, income distribution, social protection and inclusion
• TOOL #31. Education and training, culture and youth (ETCY)
• TOOL #32. Health impacts
• TOOL #33. Consumers
• TOOL #34. Territorial impacts
• TOOL #35. Developing countries
• TOOL #36. Environmental impacts
• TOOL #37. Customs enforcement of sectoral prohibitions and restrictions at EU borders

Chapter 4 – Compliance, implementation and preparing proposals

• TOOL #38. Compliance promotion and verification tools
• TOOL #39. Compliance assessment: explanatory documents, transposition and conformity checks
• TOOL #40. Drafting the explanatory memorandum
• TOOL #41. Guidance documents containing legal interpretation of EU law
• TOOL #42. Delegated and implementing acts

Chapter 5 – Monitoring the application of interventions

• TOOL #43. Monitoring arrangements and indicators
• TOOL #44. Legal provisions on monitoring and evaluation

Chapter 6 – How to carry out an evaluation and fitness check *

• TOOL #45. What is an evaluation and when it is required
• TOOL #46. Designing the evaluation
• TOOL #47. Evaluation criteria and questions
• TOOL #48. Conducting the evaluation
• TOOL #49. Format of the evaluation report
• TOOL #50. ‘Back-to-back’ evaluations and impact assessments

Chapter 7 – Stakeholder consultation

• TOOL #51. Consulting stakeholders
• TOOL #52. Consultation strategy
• TOOL #53. Conducting consultation activities
• TOOL #54. Analysing data and informing policymaking
• TOOL #55. Horizontal matters – publication of responses, data protection, access to documents and transparency register

Chapter 8 – Methodologies for analysing impacts in impact assessments, evaluations and fitness checks

• TOOL #56. Typology of costs and benefits
• TOOL #57. Methods to assess costs and benefits
• TOOL #58. EU Standard Cost Model
• TOOL #59. Cost estimates and the ‘one in, one out’ approach
• TOOL #60. Baselines
• TOOL #61. Simulation models
• TOOL #62. Multi-criteria decision analysis
• TOOL #63. Cost-benefit analysis
• TOOL #64. Discount factors
• TOOL #65. Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis
• TOOL #66. Life cycle assessment
• TOOL #67. Data identification for evaluation and impact assessment
• TOOL #68. Methods for evaluating causal effects
• TOOL #69. Emerging methods and policy instruments

* indicates updated elements