Identifying Optimal Policy Making and Legislation

Briefing 15-05-2019

This Briefing forms part of a programme of research commissioned by the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee of the European Parliament (‘the IMCO Committee’). The research programme has the aim of updating the study undertaken for the IMCO Committee in 2014 on the “Contribution of the Internal Market and Consumer Protection to Growth”. The overall aim is to provide background information and advice for IMCO Committee members on the benefits of legislation established in the field of internal market and consumer protection and to reflect on priority measures and actions to be undertaken in this field. A workshop was held in Brussels on 10th July 2018, at which progress on this programme of research was presented and discussed. This Briefing focusses on tools for use in the identification of optimal policy making and their application in the area of the internal market and consumer protection. It uses the smart Single Market regulation concept – developed in earlier research for the IMCO Committee - to present the tools for optimal policy making and to assess the development of policy for the internal market and consumer protection. First, some context is provided with a discussion of the Europe 2020 targets, the “Contribution to growth” report and the Juncker Plan. Second, the smart Single Market regulation concept is introduced and finally policy developments and legislation for the internal market and consumer protection are discussed with recommendations for improvements to the policy-making process.