The last events of the year which are also the last events of the ATR Presidency of RWE took place on December 2 and 3. We had a Workshop on the intersection of Better Regulation Research and Policy and the regular Board Meeting.
Workshop ‘’Three Forays on the Crossroads of Better Regulation Research and Policy’’
The workshop explored the intersection of Better Regulation research and policymaking through three distinctive themes. Each session featured a presentation by an expert, followed by a short critical review by a member of the RegWatchEurope network to stimulate further discussion.
In the first session, ‘Cops, Coaches, and Data in Regulatory Impact Assessment in the Czech Republic’, Lucie Zapletalová, Chair of the Czech Regulatory Impact Assessment Board (RIAB) and RWE Board Member, presented an analysis of the diverse roles of regulators in Czech policy. She examined how data-driven approaches and coaching strategies influence impact assessments. The discussion was initiated by Stian Frantzen (NBRC), who focused on the applicability of these methods to the standard activities of scrutiny organizations.
The second session, ‘Mainstreaming Sustainability in Regulatory Impact Assessments’, featured a presentation by Louis Meuleman, professor at Leuven University. He discussed the integration of sustainability considerations into regulatory impact assessments, highlighting their role in enhancing governance and supporting the incorporation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into policy. Meuleman emphasized that properly integrating sustainability makes impact assessments more holistic, contributing to greater policy coherence. The discussion, initiated by Anna Stattin (SBRC), revolved around how this integration could be practically implemented.
In the third session, ‘Behavioural Insights and Ex Ante Assessments: A Good Fit?’, Mike Keesman of the Behavioural Insights Network Netherlands (BIN NL) explored the potential of incorporating behavioural insights into ex ante assessments to better predict policy impacts. This session highlighted the alignment of behavioural science with regulatory practices to enhance policymaking. The discussion, led by Henk Griffioen (ATR), addressed topics including the extent to which behavioural insights are considered in the scrutiny efforts of various RWE network members.
Board Meeting
The Directors Meeting held the following day addressed a variety of RWE topics at different stages of development. Among the immediate priorities are potential follow-up events from the Conference on Cumulative Cost Assessment organized by the RWE in June 2024. Progress was also reviewed on collaborative projects related to Better Regulation issues, including those focused on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Both projects are in their final stages and are expected to conclude in 2025. A special feature of the meeting was a discussion on a possible membership of scrutiny bodies from Romania and Moldova. The meeting also marked a renewed collaboration with the OECD’s Regulatory Policy Division. Together with an OECD representative, participants explored potential avenues for deeper engagement and future joint initiatives. Most importantly, additional attention was given to the fact that it was the last Board Meeting for Leila Kostiainen of the Finnish Council of Regulatory Impact Analysis (FCRIA). The entire network expressed their gratitude to all time and effort Leila has invested in RegWatchEurope over the last years.