The President of the European Commission Josè Manuel Barroso presented last week the new (revised) guidelines of the Executive for improving the evaluation of the impact of EU legislative proposals. He said “the Commission takes very seriously the need to reduce bureaucracy and unnecessary legislative measures” and intends to give “greater coherence, quality and self-limitation to its own work”. The strategy for impact evaluation is based on seven fundamental points from the examination of the principle of subsidiarity to the need to consult the interested parties on a particular legislative proposal, from the analysis of the potential administrative costs to compatibility with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU. If these principles are scrupulously followed and applied, they can also lead to the amendment or withdrawal of the proposed legislation. For further information, consult the website http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/impact/index_en.htm
