Impact Assessment Guidelines - European Commission

2,28

MB

114

stron

2563

ID

European Commission

2006

rok

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION .4

1. What is impact assessment? 4

2. Why is impact assessment important? ..5

3. Answering questions on impact assessment.5

II. PROCEDURAL RULES ..6

1. Proposals requiring an impact assessment 6

2. Training for the impact assessment.6

3. Planning the impact assessment: the Roadmap & the SPP cycle.6

4. Link between IA and ex-ante evaluation 7

5. Proportionate analysis..8

6. Inter-Service Steering Groups..9

7. Consultation of interested parties during the impact assessment ..9

7.1. Why consult? .. 9

7.2. Consultation planning .. 10

7.3. Minimum standards for consultation.. 11

7.4. Pitfalls .. 12

8. Collection and use of expertise 12

9. Presenting the findings: the impact assessment report ..13

9.1. Prepare a summary report . 13

9.2. Keep it simple .. 14

9.3. Reporting format . 14

9.4. Translation . 14

10. Inter-Service Consultation & presentation to the College14

11. Using the findings: the IA report in the legislative process15

12. Publication of the final report.15

III. KEY ANALYTICAL STEPS IN IMPACT ASSESSMENT 16

1. What is the problem?..16

1.1. Why assess the problem?.. 16

1.2. How to assess the problem 17

1.3. Does the Union have the right to act? .. 18

1.4. How would the problem evolve if the current EU approach were to continue? . 18

1.5. Data sources, collection and analysis .. 19

2. What are the objectives? ..20

2.1. Why set objectives? .. 20

2.2. How to set objectives 20

2.3. Ensuring consistency with other EU policies and strategies.. 22

3. What are the policy options? . 23

3.1. Why consider alternative policy options? 23

3.2. How to identify policy options 23

3.3. How to screen policy options 24

3.4. Data sources, collection and analysis .. 25

4. What are the likely economic, social and environmental impacts? .. 26

4.1. Why analyse impacts? . 26

4.2. How to analyse impacts .. 26

4.3. Data sources, collection and analysis .. 37

5. How do the options compare?.. 39

5.1. How to compare the impacts of different options 39

5.2. The set of evaluation criteria . 43

5.3. Ranking the options .. 44

6. How could future monitoring and evaluation be organised? 45

6.1. Why examine monitoring and evaluation arrangements at the IA stage? 45

6.2. What needs to be done at the IA stage? . 45

6.3. What needs to be done after the IA stage? 46