EU-Japan Regulatory Reform Dialogue

 http://eeas.europa.eu/japan/regulatory_reform_en.htm

Regulations have a vital role in guaranteeing public health and environmental standards, as well as ensuring that goods and services meet appropriate standards.  However, regulations which are excessively complicated, untransparent or badly designed, may fail to meet these aims.  They may also have the unintended effect of constraining economic growth and preventing consumers from having access to state of the art products.  Regulatory reform can therefore make an important contribution to consumer welfare and economic growth.
The EU-Japan Regulatory Reform Dialogue (RRD) was launched in 1994 and formalized in 1995.  Since then, it has been endorsed by summit leaders on both sides as an important tool underpinning the mutually beneficial economic relationship.  Through the RRD, the EU and Japan have been actively participating in each other’s regulatory reform efforts.  They cooperate on a continuous basis, exchanging lists of proposals for regulatory reform annually and reviewing these proposals in a series of high-level and expert meetings.  On the EU side, the European Commission cooperates closely with and receives valuable input from industry and Member States’ authorities.