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Finland passes the gavel of RegWatchEurope to Germany

Government Communications Department
Publication date 16.12.2019 15.27 | Published in English on 30.12.2019 at 12.41
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Leila Kostiainen, outgoing chair of RegWatchEurope, handing over the gavel to Johannes Ludewig, who will chair the network in 2020.
Leila Kostiainen, outgoing chair of RegWatchEurope, handing over the gavel to Johannes Ludewig, who will chair the network in 2020.

Finland chaired the RegWatchEurope network in 2019. The gavel was wielded by Leila Kostiainen, chair of the Finnish Council of Regulatory Impact Analysis.

Finland has achieved a great deal during its period as chair. Its main priorities were to exercise influence within the EU, promote methodological cooperation and expand the network. During this period, RegWatchEurope submitted to the European Commission, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament various opinions, positions and letters, and held meetings with the EU institutions. The network enhanced its methodological knowhow by holding seminars on the following topics: SME impact assessments, comparing assessment reports on different countries, ex-post regulatory assessments, and the ‘one-in, one-out’ (OIOO) methodology.

In addition, RegWatchEurope adopted principles concerning its own enlargement and intensified contacts with potential new members. The members of the network have expressed their satisfaction with the work done by RegWatchEurope and the results obtained during Finland’s period as chair.

RegWatchEurope is a network of independent and external European regulatory impact analysis bodies from Finland, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic and Germany. Discussions and seminars held by RegWatchEurope have been attended by representatives of many other countries besides, including the Baltic states and several countries of Southern Europe. The mission of the network is to achieve better regulation and improve impact assessments and their methodology. Its main priority is to advise the European Union on issues related to impact assessments and better regulation.

The last joint meeting of the heads of the network members chaired by Finland was held in Helsinki on 4 December 2019. Issues addressed included the impacts of climate change and further development of the network’s operation. On the same occasion, outgoing chair of RegWatchEurope Leila Kostiainen handed over the gavel to Johannes Ludewig, chair of NKR, the national council in Germany, which is taking over as network chair as of January 2020. Acquired by the Finnish Council of Regulatory Impact Analysis, the gavel symbolises the network’s continuity and impact.