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OECD Regulatory Policy Outlook 2021

image of OECD Regulatory Policy Outlook 2021

Laws and regulations govern the everyday life of businesses and citizens, and are essential tools of public policy. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the crucial role regulation plays in the economy and society, but has also exposed gaps in domestic and international rule-making that have cost lives and money. The 2021 Regulatory Policy Outlook, the third in the series, maps country efforts to improve regulatory quality in line with the 2012 OECD Recommendation on Regulatory Policy and Governance, and shares good regulatory practices that can help close the gaps. It provides unique insights into how countries approach the design, enforcement and revision of regulations, and suggests where countries can best focus their efforts to ensure that laws and regulations work as intended. Finally, it discusses some agile and innovative approaches to rule making such as regulatory sandboxes, behavioural insights, and outcome-based, data-driven and risk-based regulation.

English Also available in: German, French

Austria

In Austria, regulatory impact assessment (RIA) has been mandatory for all primary laws and subordinate regulations since 2013. A comprehensive threshold test introduced in 2015 determines whether a simplified or full RIA has to be conducted for draft regulations. A simplified RIA is carried out for about two thirds of all regulations. The methodology for a full RIA requires the assessment of a range of impacts, including on the environment, social aspects, and gender equality. The aforementioned threshold limits the requirement for ex post evaluations introduced in 2013 to regulations passing the threshold. Assessments of whether underlying policy goals have been achieved, the comparison of actual and predicted impacts, and the identification of costs, benefits and unintended consequences of regulations are part of the standard methodology for ex post evaluations. In 2019, a principle-based ex post review of 200 federal laws has been carried out with a view to reducing administrative burdens stemming from gold‑plating.

English Also available in: French

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