Regulatory impact assessment (RIA) is a systemic approach to critically assessing the positive and negative effects of proposed and existing regulations and non-regulatory alternatives. As employed in OECD countries it encompasses a range of methods. It is an important element of an evidence-based approach to policy making.

OECD analysis shows that conducting RIA within an appropriate systematic framework can underpin the capacity of governments to ensure that regulations are efficient and effective in a changing and complex world. Some form of RIA has now been adopted by all OECD members, but they have all nevertheless found the successful implementation of RIA administratively and technically challenging.

This page provides links to the considerable research undertaken by the OECD on methodological issues and country experiences with the implementation of RIA and includes guidance material to improve the performance of RIA, its early integration with policy making and the promotion of more coherent regulatory policy across government.

Best practice principles for regulatory policy Regulatory Impact Assessment   Annexes to the Best Practice Principles for Regulatory Policy The SME Test: Taking SMEs and entrepreneurs into account when regulating (2022) A closer look at proportionality and threshold tests for RIA (2020)   Publications Regulatory policy scan of Bulgaria: Promoting a sound regulatory framework for citizen well-being and economic growth (6 september 2022) Establishing Regulatory Impact Assessment in Mauritius (5 April 2022) OECD Regulatory Policy Outlook 2021 (14 October 2021) Implementing Regulatory Impact Assessment at Peru’s National Superintendence of Sanitation Services - English - Spanish (14 July 2021) How do laws and regulations affect competitiveness: The role for regulatory impact assessment (3 February 2021) Regulatory Impact Assessment in the Philippines (2021) Regulatory Management and Oversight Reforms in Thailand (2020) Best Practice Principles for Regulatory Policy: Regulatory Impact Assessment - FR (2020) Implementing RIA in the Central Government of Peru - ESP (2019) Better Regulation Practices across the European Union (2019) OECD Regulatory Policy Outlook 2018 (2018) RIA in Chile (2017) Promoting Inclusive Growth through Better Regulation (2016) OECD Regulatory Policy Outlook 2015 (2015) Regulatory Policy in Perspective: A Reader's Companion to 2015 Regulatory Policy Outlook (2015) Implementing Good Regulatory Practice in Malaysia (2015) Sustainability in Impact Assessments: A Review of Impact Assessment Systems in Selected OECD Countries and the European Commission (2012) Integrating the Environment in Regulatory Impact Assessments (2011) Regulatory Impact Analysis: A Tool for Policy Coherence (2009) Introductory Handbook for Undertaking Regulatory Impact Analysis (2008), RUS Building an Institutional Framework for Regulatory Impact Analysis: Guidance for Policy Makers (2008) Indicators of Regulatory Management Systems (2007)  RIA in OECD Countries and Challenges for Developing Countries (2005) RIA Inventory (2004) Regulatory Impact Analysis – Best Practices in OECD Countries (1997) Ten good practices in the design and implementation of RIA (1997)

Latest updates  7 November 2022 The SME Test: Taking SMEs and entrepreneurs into account when regulating: Annex to the OECD Best Practice Principles on Regulatory Impact Assessment 6 September 2022 Regulatory policy scan of Bulgaria: Promoting a sound regulatory framework for citizen well-being and economic growth 5 April 2022 Establishing Regulatory Impact Assessment in Mauritius 19 October 2021 The OECD helps Peru’s water regulator commit to issue high-quality regulation 27 May 2021 Regulatory Impact Assessment in the Philippines 10 March 2021 Learning from Australia’s oversight of Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) 3 February 2021 How do laws and regulations affect competitiveness: The role for regulatory impact assessment 18 December 2020 A closer look at proportionality and threshold tests for RIA: Annex to the OECD Best Practice Principles on Regulatory Impact Assessment 3-12 November 2020 OECD supports Peru's water regulator to improve the quality of its regulation, Virtual workshop 25 February 2020 Best Practice Principles for Regulatory Policy: Regulatory Impact Assessment   Workshops and seminars OECD supports Peru's water regulator to improve the quality of its regulation, Virtual workshop, 3-12 November 2020 Promoting better regulation in Israel, Rishon LeZion, Feb. 2020 OECD supports Peru's water regulator in improving regulation, Dec. 2019 Improving the quality of regulation in Costa Rica, San Juan, 2017 Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA), Lima, Peru, 2017 RIA for the Transport Infrastructure Regulator of Peru (OSITRAN), Lima Peru, 2017 Peru's Energy Regulator (OSINERGMIN) begins RIA implementation, Lima, Peru, 2016 Measuring Regulatory Performance: Embedding Regulatory Policy in Law and Practice, Reyjavik, 2015 Embedding RIA in Colombia, Bogota, 2015 Elaborating and evaluating RIA in Colombia, Bogota, 2015

For further information, please contact Daniel Trnka, OECD Regulatory Policy Division.

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