The Institute for Impact Assessment and Scientific Evaluation of Policy and Legislation
"Impartial analysis for policy making"
Evidence based policy making is fundamental to the concept of Better Regulation. Governmental organisations, including those at EU and EU Member State level, have implemented important reforms to their regulatory systems, improving the quality of assessment and thereby embedding enhanced policy outcomes.
The Impact Assessment Institute has been established to make an independent and impartial contribution to the evidence base for policy making, by scrutinising proposed and active legislation. It is open to cooperation with the European Union institutions, Member State governments, civil society, business and individuals in an inclusive manner. Its structure and procedures have been arranged to ensure that impartiality is embedded in its DNA.
News & Commentary
Studies on Inception Impact Assessments
February 10th 2020
The Impact Assessment Institute conducts regular analysis on Inception Impact Assessments (IIAs)
adopted by the European Commission... Read more
What about impact assessments for implementing acts?
January 20th 2020
Between January 2018 and December 2019, 1,779 implementing directives and regulations have been published, according to the ... Read more
One-day intensive training seminar on 2nd April 2020
January 15th 2020
The Impact Assessment Institute is organising a new intensive training seminar on 2nd April 2020 in Brussels. Since the publication of the ... Read more
What about Impact assessment for delegated acts?
June 21st 2019
Between January and May 2019, 71 delegated acts were adopted by the European Commission, ranging from very brief amendments to detailed technical... Read more
Machinery Directive revision: impacts correctly estimated?
May 7th 2019
The European Commission Inception Impact Assessment on the Revision of the Machinery Directive does not clearly define the main driver for... Read more
Proper definition of sustainability required for battery initiative
February 27th 2019
The Impact Assessment Institute has scrutinised the European Commission Inception Impact Assessment on Sustainable Batteries. The IIA mostly... Read more
Commission powers to impose common mobile phone chargers in question
21st February 2019
The Impact Assessment Institute has scrutinised the Inception Impact Assessment (IIA) on Common chargers for mobile telephones and other compatible...Read more
Absence of Impact Assessment often not justified or contrary to Better Regulation
November 7th 2018
From June to October 2018, 33 legislative proposals for a directive or regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council were published... Read more
Ecodesign policy prejudges Impact Assessment
May 16th 2018
The policy option selection for EU Ecodesign legislation for domestic appliances, lighting and computers prejudges the ongoing consultation and... Read more
Free Flow of Data: Good policy, questionable Impact Assessment
April 19th 2018
Data indicate the economic benefits of proposed legislation on free flow of non-personal data in the EU. However, the European Commission's... Read more
Digital can contribute more to EU policy
December 19th 2017
Important opportunities in the development of EU digital policy are being missed due to inconsistent digital assessment, according to a new IAI study... Read more
Intensive training seminar 12 January
December 6th 2017
See how the Better Regulation Agenda affects your work and how your work can help make Better Regulation. Since the publication of the European... Read more
Revised Study on Energy Efficiency Directive
November 23rd 2017
After a review of the file, today we have published a slightly revised version of our study scrutinising the Impact Assessment for the Energy... Read more
Revised Study on Energy Efficiency Directive
November 23rd 2017
After a review of the file, today we have published a slightly revised version of our study scrutinising the Impact Assessment for the Energy... Read more
The Energy Efficiency Directive needs more reliable data - new IAI study
September 18th 2017
The legislative proposal for the Energy Efficiency Directive rests on inconsistent and unsubstantiated data and analysis. The proposed target of 30%... Read more
Publication of the "EU Flow"
September 11th 2017
We are pleased to announce the publication of the "EU Flow: From EU Policy to EU law and back", an eBook by Erik Akse. The book provides an overview... Read more
Seminar in the European Parliament
September 7th 2017
Yesterday the Impact Assessment Institute was represented in a seminar in the European Parliament on Better Regulation and the recast of the... Read more
Intensive training on Impact Assessment on September 7th and 8th
July 25th 2017
Since the publication of the European Commission's Better Regulation Agenda in 2015, we have valuable examples of how the guidelines have been... Read more
The ePrivacy Regulation suffers from scarce evidence
July 17th 2017
The Impact Assessment Institute raises major concerns regarding the evidence supporting the ePrivacy regulation. The data gathering in the Impact... Read more
Focus on solid evidence will strengthen policy on alcohol excise duties
July 10th 2017
The European Commission's Inception Impact Assessment on the Excise Duties on Alcohol provides a mostly sound basis for evidence-based... Read more
EU renewable energy policy undermined by lack of transparency and unsubstantiated assumptions
June 19th 2017
The Impact Assessment Institute (IAI) has scrutinised in detail the Impact Assessments accompanying the European Commission legislative proposal... Read more
Robust and transparent evidence is needed to ensure an effective Common Agricultural Policy
May 3rd 2017
As its contribution to the public consultation that ended yesterday, 2nd May, the Impact Assessment Institute is publishing a study scrutinising the... Read more
New Studies in the Pipeline
April 14th 2017
The Impact Assessment Institute's most recent study, reviewing the first 18 months of the European Commission's Better Regulation Agenda... Read more
A year and a half of the Better Regulation Agenda: what happened?
January 30th 2017
More than 1 and a half years have passed since the adoption of the European Commission's Better Regulation Agenda in May 2015... Read more
Next intensive training seminar scheduled for 2nd and 3rd March
December 21st 2016
Since the publication of the European Commission's Better Regulation Agenda in 2015, we have valuable examples pf how the guidelines have been... Read more
Studies on light and heavy duty vehicle CO2 emissions
October 11th 2016
The Impact Assessment Institute's has scrutinised the European Commission's Inception Impact Assessments on Heavy Duty Vehicle CO2 Monitoring... Read more
IAI Study on Circular Economy
October 3rd 2016
The Impact Assessment Institute's scrutinised the European Commission's Impact Assessment, additional analysis and background data for the... Read more
Preview of new IAI scrutiny in the Climate and Energy Policy Area
July 26th 2016
To ensure maximum effectiveness of EU policy measures for climate action, factually based and transparently compiled, Impact Assessments are... Read more
IAI Study on the Renewable Energy Inception Impact Assessment
June 30th 2016
The Impact Assessment Institute's has scrutinised the European Commission's Impact Assessment (IIA) on a new Renewable Energy Directive and... Read more
IAI Study on the Renewable Energy Inception Impact Assessment
June 30th 2016
The Impact Assessment Institute's has scrutinised the European Commission's Impact Assessment (IIA) on a new Renewable Energy Directive and... Read more
Tell us your priorities for scrutiny
May 9th 2016
After its successful launch event in April, the Impact Assessment Institute is asking stakeholders to give their recommendations for its ongoing work... Read more
Intensive training seminar on July in Brussels
May 23rd 2016
One year on from the publication of the European Commission's Better Regulation Agenda, what has changed, what still needs to be improved... Read more
Malcolm Harbour CBE welcomes the launch of the IAI
April 28th 2016
Yesterday Malcolm Harbour CBE spoke at the launch event of the Impact Assessment Institute at the Press Club Brussels in the presence of 60... Read more
The Impact Assessment Institute formally launches
April 18th 2016
April marks the formal incorporation of the Impact Assessment Institute as a foundation. The Institute started publicly scrutinising EU policy... Read more
Letter from Cabinet of Commission Vice President Timmermans on transparency of Impact Assessment
April 15th 2016
In response to the Institute's letter of 15th February, today we received a letter from the Cabinet... Read more
Planned study on the Circular Economy Impact Assessment
March 15th 2016
The Impact Assessment Institute's is preparing a study scrutinising the European Commission Impact Assessment accompanying its legislative... Read more
IAI letter to Commission First Vice President Timmermans
February 15th 2016
The Impact Assessment Institute's has sent a letter to Commission First Vice President Frans Timmermans emphasising the findings of its study on the... Read more
Study on the Impact Assessment on the ETS post-2020 revision
February 11th 2016
The Impact Assessment Institute's studied the Commission's Impact Assessment SWD(2015) 135 accompanying its legislative proposal on... Read more
Study on the Impact Assessment on heavy-duty vehicle CO2 emissions
January 18th 2016
The European Commission published a Communication on policy for heavy-duty vehicle CO2 emission reduction in May 2014 accompanied by an Impact...Read more
Study on the European Commission Impact Assessments on Climat & Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy
December 14th 2015
During the course of 2014 the European Commission issued two important Communications, on Climate and Energy policy to 2030 & Energy Efficiency... Read more
The Impact Assessment Institute - supporting robust evidence for policy-making
December 14th 2015
The activities of the Impact Assessment Institute have been established this week with the going... Read more
All ahead for Better Regulation
May 22nd 2015
Brussels: the European Commission this week (19th May) published its Better Regulation Package, including a communication, guidelines, a toolbox... Read more