Piloting regulatory impact assessment: a comparative analysis of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia

Abstract

Regulatory impact assessment (RIA) is a relatively new tool that has been introduced into the legislative system of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia. To streamline its implementation, all three countries have decided to conduct a pilot RIA in a very similar area — administrative burden on enterprises. Although the circumstances and rationale for preparing a pilot RIA differ from country to country, all three struggle with inadequate political support, institutional arrangements and lack of clear methodologies. This paper aims to compare the formal arrangements that have introduced RIA into their national systems and their experience with piloting RIA. It argues that the piloting was kidnapped by the agenda of administrative burden and business-oriented RIA, which served the substantive discussion rather than the potential pedagogical or demonstrative effects that the pilot could have brought.