WRITTEN QUESTION No. 340/98 by Luis CAMPOY ZUECO to the Commission. Objective 2
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 Commissionís 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 Parliamentís April 1997 report, the continuing contacts with Member States and the European business organisations provide ideas and information for the Commissionís 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