There is a wide-spread and bi-partisan support for the concept of burden reduction and simplification of regulatory requirements in the United States. A great number of laws and orders that require impact statements, consultations, consideration of regulatory alternatives or plain language drafting ensure that these concepts are taken into account in the regulation-writing process. At the implementation end, programme ombudsmen and one-stop shops are proliferating. Assistance to small business in implementing regulations is also very common. The spectacular improvements in information technology and the rise of the Internet as a stream of commerce and information act as an important ...