Background to the Programme for Joint APEC-OECD Work

The first phase of the joint work was launched in Singapore on 22-23 February 2000, and was organised around a series of related events. These focused on the first results of regulatory reform, implementing regulatory reform in APEC and OECD economies, and promoting information economy through regulatory reform. Three workshops were held as part of this first phase of the programme:

• Beijing, China, 19-20 September 2001, on designing a broad regulatory reform programme, and competition policy
• Merida, Mexico, 24-25 April 2002, on RIA and trade facilitation 
• Island of Jeju, Korea, 16-17 October 2002, on Regulatory transparency and competition, and regulation in the telecom, electricity and financial services and High Level Conference, which concluded the first phase of the programme in Jeju Island on 18 October 2002

During the concluding workshop in Korea, there was an agreement to launch a second phase of the APEC-OECD Co-operative Initiative to elaborate an APEC-OECD Integrated Checklist for self-assessment on regulatory, competition and market openness policies, to implement the OECD and APEC principles.

The key outcome of the 2nd phase of work, was to present for approval in 2005, an Integrated Checklist to the respective Executive Bodies of the APEC and OECD. The Integrated Checklist was approved by the OECD’s Special Group on Regulatory Policy in March 2005.  It was endorsed by the 2005 APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade on 2-3 June 2005 (see 2005 MRT Statement), and by APEC Ministers at their summit in Busan, Korea, 15-16 November 2005. APEC Ministers also instructed officials to disseminate the Checklist and to work with the OECD to assist economies in using it.  The main workshops and events held during this phase were: 

• Vancouver, Canada, on 8-9 October 2003, on developing the APEC-OECD Integrated Checklist for Regulatory Reform and Reforming Existing Regulations in member economies
• Paris, France on 2-3 December 2003, on developing the APEC-OECD Integrated Checklist for Regulatory Reform focusing on the competition policy aspect in member economies 
• Pucon, Chile on 24-25 May 2004, on developing the APEC-OECD Integrated Checklist for Regulatory Reform focusing on the market openness aspect in member economies 
• Bangkok, Thailand on 1 November 2004, which concluded the second phase of the Joint APEC-OECD work on regulatory reform

As part of the 3rd phase of work, an APEC-OECD Symposium on Structural and Regulatory Reform was held in Korea on 9 September 2005. This event was in response to the heightened priority given to these themes by the APEC Leaders at their summit in November 2004, and to their request for on-going co-operation with OECD on regulatory reform. This meeting, co-organised with the APEC Economic Committee, was an opportunity to see how the Checklist on Regulatory Reform can be used by economies as a self-assessment policy tool, and more generally, how domestic and international co-operation on regulatory matters can be strengthened.

The OECD participated in a meeting of the APEC Economic Committee in Hanoi on 25 February 2006 to discuss the substantive issues in the Integrated Checklist, to help economies apply it. A policy roundtable was organised on 12 September 2006 in Hoi An Vietnam, to give economies an opportunity to learn from each other's experiences based on their self-assessment.

The Economic Committee, chaired by Prof. Bob Buckle (New Zealand Treasury), together with OECD, supported policy dialogue on regulatory reform in seminars and a policy roundtable in February 2008. With support from Australia, this Committee hosted the first-ever APEC Ministerial Meeting on Structural Reform held 3-5 August 2008 in Melbourne, Australia. The Second Economic Committee meeting in 2008 was held later in August, and gave delegates an opportunity to reflect on the Ministerial meeting and future work.

Singapore was the host economy for 2009. In 2009, the Economic Committee published its Annual Report with a focus on regulatory reform. The report presented the link between structural and regulatory reform, the key elements of a good regulatory reform framework and introduced the use of regulatory impact analysis. It also discussed the use of regulatory reform to improve the business environment in APEC and reviewed individual economies' experience with implementing regulatory reforms in view of sharing good practices.

Japan was the host economy for 2010. During the APEC-OECD Symposium held in Hiroshima on 25-26 February 2010, the EC drew lessons from five years of structural reform and regulatory reform, and developed objectives for taking the work into 2011 and beyond, helping economies to reduce disparities while contributing to and benefiting from globalisation. The theme of competitiveness was highlighted by the OECD and how regulatory reform has helped Asian economies become more robust and flexible after the 1997 financial crisis. Governments have to make continuous improvements, not only to their regulatory stock, but to their policies and systems to manage what is regulated and how. Japan provided a telling example. On 26 February, Japan presented the results of its self-assessment using the APEC-OECD Integrated Checklist. Japan explained how regulatory reform has been linked to the administration’s new governmental revitalisation unit, and outlined some of the challenges for the public administration associated with an open consultation process, to promote user-centred regulation.

Regulatory reform strengthens good governance (transparency, accountability, citizen participation, etc.) and evidence-based decision making, reduces unnecessary burdens and compliance costs, and provides business and citizens with good quality, affordable infrastructure and public services. Changing the administrative culture to deliver the benefits of regulatory reform remains a challenge.

Main workshops and events held during this 3rd phase: 

• Gyeongju, Korea on 9 September 2005. This meeting launched the third phase of the APEC-OECD Co-operative Initiative on Regulatory Reform, focusing on carrying out self-assessments using the APEC-OECD Integrated Checklist for Regulatory Reform.
• Hoi An, Vietnam on 12 September 2006: Results of self-assessment in Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong China, and the United State, using the Integrated Checklist.
• Cairns, Australia on 28 June 2007. The United States, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong, China reported back on measures they took since they completed the self-assessment using the Checklist in 2006. Australia and Korea reported the results of their self-assessment. Policy roundtable and symposium focused on regulatory reform policy and competition policy.
• Lima, Peru on 25-26 February 2008. Policy roundtable addressed the design of regulatory reform policy, and integrating market-openness objectives.
• Singapore, 19-20 February 2009. Policy roundtable with a focus on the implications of the global financial crisis for structural policy.
• Singapore, 23-25 July 2009. Policy roundtable with a focus on administrative simplification.
• Hiroshima, Japan, 25-26 February 2010. Policy roundtable on structural reform.