Impact Assessment Board Quality support and control

1
Impact Assessment BoardQuality support and
control

• European Commission Impact Assessment
• Discussion with Stakeholders
• 28 June 2007

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IAB what is it?

• Independent body to ensure good quality of the
  Commission impact assessments
• Launched by President Barroso on 14 November 2006
• Main tasks
• Assess the quality of IA reports before the
  Commission adopts proposals they accompany
• Give quality support for horizontal and
  methodological aspects
• Advise if a Commission proposal should be
  accompanied by an impact assessment

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Who are the IAB members?

• Members
• Alexander Italianer (SG), Chair
• Jan Host Schmidt (ECFIN)
• Xavier Prats Monne (EMPL)
• Gert-Jan Koopman (ENTR)
• Timo Mäkelä (ENV)
• Alternates
• Lars Mitek (SG)
• Manfred Bergmann (ECFIN)
• Georg Fischer (EMPL)
• Andrzej Rudka (ENTR)
• Robin Miège (ENV)

• Experienced in the 3 pillars (economic,
  environmental, social)
• Independent acting on a personal basis, under no
  instruction from their services

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How does the IAB function?
The author DG sends draft IA report to the IAB
The IAB sends detailed comments to the DG
DG answers to the comments either in writing or
orally during an IAB meeting

• The IAB issues the opinion
• Critical opinion may lead to second review

• The IA report is revised
• The opinion accompanies proposal to the College

Opinion is published once the policy initiative
is adopted by the Commission
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IAB and technical expertise

• Board may draw on any available expertise that
  can support it in its work
• internally
• from Commission departments and from existing
  internal networks and groups
• externally with institutions, individuals and
  groups outside the Commission
• on horizontal and methodological issues
• on particularly complex or problematic issues in
  individual impact assessments

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What does the IAB check when examining an IA?
(examples)

• Have stakeholders been consulted?
• Is the problem well defined?
• Is the right of EU to act demonstrated?
• Do the actions correspond to the problems
  identified?
• Are the economic, social and environmental
  impacts appropriately assessed?
• Is the IA report proportionate?
• Is impact on administrative burden examined?

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The main issues in the IAB opinions so far(based
on a sample of 33 opinions)

• Top 5
• Policy options
• Analysis of impacts
• Connecting problem- objectives measures (logic
  of intervention)
• Defining the problem
• Administrative burden

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Feedback from the Commission services(35
respondents)
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Where can I find more information about the Board?

• The IAB website
• http//ec.europa.eu/governance/impact/iab_en.htm
• The impact assessment reports and the IAB
  opinions (11 published so far)
• http//ec.europa.eu/governance/impact/cia_2007_en.
  htm

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The floor is yours

• Relevance of the impact assessment reports?
• National experiences?
• Consultation?
• Sectoral interests?