The Norwegian Better Regulation Council is an independent body under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries. The Council is an arms-length oversight body, issuing advisory statements to proposals for new regulation of the business sector at the stage of public consultation. The Norwegian Better Regulation Council is independent and impartial, and the Ministry cannot instruct nor interfere in the Council’s issuing of statements. The goal of the Norwegian Better Regulation Council is to contribute to reduction of the regulatory burden on businesses and overall more efficient regulation.
International cooperation
The Norwegian Better Regulation Council participates in international work in our various disciplines. We cooperate with other European oversight bodies through the RegWatchEurope network. We also have regular contact with the Regulatory Scrutiny Board (RSB) in the European Commission. The Norwegian Better Regulation Council serves on the OECD Regulatory Policy Committee as a member of the Norwegian delegation.
In June 2019, the Norwegian Better Regulation Council and the Norwegian Government Agency for Financial Management jointly hosted the OECD-conference “Measuring Regulatory Performance. The Future of Law-Making” in Oslo. The conference brought together delegates from the OECD’s member countries to debate topics of regulatory policy and better regulation.
Experiences so far
The Norwegian Better Regulation Council find that government agencies responsible for drafting new laws and regulations, much too often fail to properly take into account whether their regulations could be made simpler or less costly to comply with. A number of technological and social changes are affecting the business sector in Norway, and our businesses must adapt quickly to remain competitive. At the same time, new laws and regulations that affect business also need to be introduced to take account of important social considerations. This makes it key that regulation of business is cost-effective and does not impede businesses’ ability to adapt and compete.
Going forward
The aim of the Norwegian Better Regulation Council going forward is to continue to issue and develop statements on new regulation of a high professional standard. We aim to provide better and more constructive feedback as well as guidance on smart regulations that do not impose unnecessary burdens on business.
All-round better preparatory work for new regulations will contribute to more democratic consultation processes and provide a better foundation for the political process and decision-making. Fewer unnecessary burdens for the business sector will mean lower costs for Norwegian businesses. For a small economy like ours this means: higher value creation and tax base, improved competitiveness and the opportunity for increased innovation.
Example of a statement from the Council
The Norwegian Better Regulation Council issues advisory statements on proposals for new or amended business regulations at the stage of public consultation.