Permanent Advisory Committee for Regulation Pressure is a Fact

Today, the House of Representatives has approved the Establishment Act for the Advisory Committee on Regulation Pressure (ATR). This gives the ATR a permanent status and structurally anchors the advisory committee as an independent body. The ATR will also gain more powers, including mandatory involvement in new legislation with substantial effects on regulation pressure. With this law, the cabinet takes an important step in the structural approach to reducing regulation pressure.

Minister Beljaarts (Economic Affairs): “Tackling unnecessary regulation pressure does not only mean that we critically examine the rules we already have. But especially that we know how to prevent unnecessary regulation pressure in the future. Preventing worse is exactly what the ATR was established for. With this law, the ATR becomes permanent and can oversee better regulation with a larger mandate. This is urgently needed because entrepreneurs are losing a lot of time, money, and energy due to regulation pressure, which in turn hampers our economic growth. Therefore, combating unnecessary regulation pressure is one of the cabinets priorities.”

The ATR assesses proposed regulations for regulation pressure effects and advises on preventing unnecessary burdens before regulations are established. With the approval of the House, this position of the ATR is made permanent and further expanded. The main expansions are;

• Assessment of EU legislation: The ATR can advise on preventing unnecessary regulation pressure during the creation of new European legislation. This is important because a large part of the regulation pressure originates from European legislation.
• Advice to ministries: Ministries can consult the ATR for advice on their proposed policies so that the consequences of regulation pressure are assessed early on.
• Advice to the States-General: The House of Representatives and the Senate can ask the ATR for advice on initiative laws and amendments.
• Mandatory involvement of ATR: In line with the government program, the ATR will now be required to be involved in the preparation of legislation with significant regulation pressure effects.

Tackling unnecessary regulation pressure is a top priority for this cabinet. Therefore, Minister Beljaarts presented the Action Program Less Pressure with Rules alongside the establishment law of the ATR last December. The cabinet aims to prevent unnecessary regulation pressure and make existing issues more workable, both nationally and at the European level. Through the regulation pressure reduction program, existing problems in sectors such as construction, hospitality, and retail are being addressed. Specific dossiers, such as the CO₂ reporting obligation and labor conditions legislation, are being revised to lighten burdens. This action program is a cabinet-wide task to simplify and make regulations more effective.