Practical Application of Better Regulation Principles in Improving the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Environmental Inspection Authorities

Project description and aims

This IMPEL project aimed to provide practical solutions and share good practice among environmental inspection authorities in Europe on initiatives to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of regulatory activities such as permitting and inspection. The benefits of the project were to:

• Share best practice and practical solutions to common problems facing inspection authorities, which will benefit the environment, business and the public.
• Provide evidence of the outcomes and effectiveness of better regulation approaches.
• Inform European and national law makers on best practice approaches to implementing laws.

A number of trends in better regulation approaches were identified:

• Greater use of alternatives to bespoke permits, e.g. general binding conditions.
• More evidence of sector-based approaches, e.g. seeking to agree performance objectives beyond minimum regulatory standards.
• Streamlining or integrating approaches for companies which are carrying out similar activities across multiple sites.
• Bringing different types of inspection activity together in a single or harmonized process which increases coherence and reduces costs to business and authorities.
• Identifying opportunities for other inspectorates, or even commercial organisations, to undertake areas of inspection activity where it is more effective to do so.
• Relatively few of the initiatives included an assessment of the intended benefits regarding environmental outcomes, or cost savings to business and regulatory bodies.