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SG C

Regulatory Fitness and Performance Programme

(REFIT)

September 2014

Some say EU legislation……

2SG C

Smart Regulation

…. is about ensuring high quality EU legislation which …..•Respects the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality;•Results in a simple, clear, stable and predictable regulatory framework; •Delivers most effectively on EU policy objectives at minimum cost.

3SG C

Smart regulation is …

1. About the whole policy cycle – from the design of a piece of legislation, to implementation, enforcement, evaluation and revision.

2. About actively engaging those affected by interventions.

3. A shared responsibility of the European institutions and of Member States.

4SG C

Smart Regulation is about the whole policy cycle

Putting Smart Regulation into Practice: Regulatory Fitness and Performance

Programme ("REFIT”)

• Identify burdens, inconsistencies, gaps and ineffective measures across acquis (‘Mapping’)

• Take action: withdraw, repeal, simplify, improve

• Assess: evaluations and Fitness Checks

• Consult: Involve Stakeholders

• Track Progress: Scoreboard

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REFIT RESULTS – October 2013

Simplification Proposals with Legislator: 21

New simplification initiatives in preparation: 23

Evaluations and Fitness checks: 31 planned; 16 underway.

6 Withdrawals and 9 Repeals.

SG C7

REFIT RESULTS – June 2014

Simplification Proposals with Legislator: 26

New simplification initiatives proposed: 9

New Evaluations and Fitness checks proposed: 31

4 new Withdrawals and 6 new Repeals proposed.

altogether almost 200 individual actions ...

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REFIT proposals adopted – examples:

SG*C 9

New legal framework for public procurement Recognition of Professional qualifications Recording equipment in road transport

(tachograph) Clinical trials with pharmaceuticals

REFIT proposals pending in legislative procedure – examples:

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Animal health Consumer product safety and market surveillance The Common Consolidated Corporate Tax base Package travel, holidays and tours Introduction of a standard VAT declaration

REFIT initiatives in preparation – examples:

Information and consultation of workersVeterinary MedicinesCompany lawIntegration of Business Statistics

New Initiatives 2014:

New comprehensive architecture for business statisticsExtension of the VAT one-stop-shop to all business to consumer supplies and Development of an EU VAT web information portalSimplification of EU legislation on identity and travel documents

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Repeals– examples:

New Repeals 2014:Energy labelling of some households devicesTransport rates and conditions Standardized reporting in the area of environmentAgriculture – obsolete acts in relation to CAP

SG*C 12

Withdrawals – examples:

New withdrawals 2014:Investor compensation schemesAviation security chargesPregnant workersFund for compensation of oil pollution damage in European watersHygiene of foodstuffs

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EU added value under assessment:

Occupational safety and health for hairdressers

Muscular skeletal disorders and screen displays

Environmental tobacco smoke

SG*C 14

REFIT Evaluations – examples:

Health and safety at work Food law Chemicals (not covered by REACH) Visa Information System Frontex NATURA 2000

New evaluations 2014: Mutual Recognition of goods Consumer protection on timeshares Late payments Construction sector Design system in the EU

SG*C 15

Other REFIT ActionsStrengthening Smart Regulation ToolsNew guidelines for evaluation, impact assessment and consultation

Working together with Member StatesEvaluationsAssessment of Costs and BenefitsImplementation at national/regional/local level

Horizontal Concernsfees, reporting requirements, inspections, assistance to implementation

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How do we track progress? – The REFIT Scoreboard ..

• shows the state of play in the preparation, adoption and implementation of REFIT initiatives

• sets out possible amendments to REFIT initiatives in legislative procedure

• was published first in June 2014 and will be updated annually

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Stakeholder input ..• helps to focus actions on areas that matter most

for business;• provides data to measure regulatory costs for

business;• helps to assess the results of actions under REFIT

• Contributors include: Business Simplification Task Forces in several Member States, Industry Federations, individual companies, Member States administrations …

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Have your say ..

Please give us your comments and suggestions for the Commission's REFIT agenda:

http://ec.europa.eu/refit/consultation

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Further information

REFIT: http://ec.europa.eu/smart-regulation/refit/index_en.htm