WRITTEN QUESTION No. 340/98 by Luis CAMPOY ZUECO to the Commission. Objective 2
Date: 1998-02-17
Institutions: CAMPOY ZUECO, European Parliament
Subjects: Structural Funds, economic and social cohesion, economic planning, less-favoured region, regional aid, regional policy, regions of Spain, structural policy

2. 10. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 304/81

regulatory impact analysis can include cost/benefit or cost/effectiveness analyses, depending on the complexity
of the proposal. This does not, in the Commission(cid:146)s view, require the business impact assessment system to be
given any legal framework in Community legislation.

A business impact assessment appears as part of the documentation accompanying every legislative proposal
which is likely to have a significant impact on business. This is published as part of the document (Com) which is
submitted  to  the  Council,  the  Parliament  and  the  Economic  and  social  committee.  These  documents  are
distributed by the Office of official publications. They are therefore available to outside interests, and scrutiny of
their  content  is  welcome.  In  its  forthcoming  review  of  its  internal  working  procedures  the  Commission  will
consider whether the business impact assessments should be published in the Official journal. Business impact
assessments would then be available in all official languages.

The  Commission  has  indeed  taken  account  of  the  Organisation  for  economic  co-operation  and  development
(OECD)  report  on  regulatory  reform,  having  taken  part  in  the  discussions  with  Member  States  at  the  OECD
leading up to this report. Both this forum and the co-ordinating role that the Commission plays with the Member
States  on  improving  and  simplifying  the  business  environment  includes  the  exchange  of  information  about
regulatory impact analysis. It is important that the impact on business of legislative and administrative proposals
is considered both Community wide, and also at Member State and local authority levels.

The  Commission  considers  that  it  has  improved  its  performance  in  the  majority  of  the  ten  elements  of  best
practice  in  the  OECD  report,  particularly  in  respect  of  early  and  more  extensive  consultation  procedures,
improved  and  comprehensive  regulatory  impact  analysis,  and  better  openness  and  transparency  in  terms  of
communicating the results and involving outside interests. There is however room for further improvement.

Both the OECD and the Commission have some information about the best practice in the Member States on
their  regulatory  impact  assessment  systems.  The  Commission  will  continue  its  efforts  co-ordinating  with  the
Member States to exchange experience of best practice on business impact assessment systems. Commission
Recommendation  97/344/EC  of  22  April  1997  on  improving  and  simplifying  the  business  environment  for
business start-ups (1) addressed to Member States and published in all languages made a specific reference in
Article 3 for Member States to consider introducing a systematic evaluation procedure to assess the impact on
business  of  regulatory  proposals.  Annex  II  gives  information  about  the  business  impact  assessment  systems
established in Member States.

Notwithstanding  the  improvements  made,  the  Commission  remains  determined  to  continue  to  make  further
improvements to the business impact assessment system. The Parliament(cid:146)s April 1997 report, the continuing
contacts  with  Member  States  and  the  European  business  organisations  provide  ideas  and  information  for  the
Commission(cid:146)s internal working procedures. Following these discussions the Commission will consider issuing
new and more detailed internal guidelines about how to complete a business impact assessment, and how to
undertake the necessary consultation with all the interested parties.

(1)  OJ L 145, 5.6.1997.

(98/C 304/120)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0340/98

by Luis Campoy Zueco (PPE) to the Commission

(17 February 1998)

Subject: Objective 2

Could the Commission indicate what criteria will apply to the new Objective 2 and which Spanish regions it will
cover?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission

(25 March 1998)

The  Commission  would  refer  the  Honourable  Member  to  its  answer  to  Written  Question  P-0329/98  by
Mrs Todini (1).

(1)  OJ C 223, 17.7.1998, p. 167.