Smart-regulation, Evaluation

The Commission regularly evaluates EU actions (policies, legislation, trade agreements and financial programmes). Evaluations are an essential part of the decision making process. They are required under the Financial Regulation and carried out according to evaluation standards. From the standards, the Commission derives guidelines for its staff to use during the evaluation process including guidance on fitness checks, which assess whether the regulatory framework for a policy sector is fit for purpose.Evaluation results are fed into the Commission Work Programme and disseminated to the European Parliament, the Council and spending administrative authorities. For legislation specifically, the Commission's REFIT regulatory fitness and performance programme identifies opportunities for simplifying existing legislation and reducing administrative burdens.