Impact Assessment in the EU: the state of the art and the art of the state

Policy-makers increasingly see impact assessment it as the philosopher’s stone that will enhance the quality of EU legislation in the years to come, leading Europe back onto the Lisbon track. But does the EU’s impact assessment model actually possess the virtues ascribed to it? This new book by Andrea Renda offers a scorecard analysis of the first 70 Extended Impact Assessments performed by the European Commission, and concludes that the procedure has only produced a sea of disappointment. Renda’s analysis of international best practices reveals that impact assessment is far from being a panacea, especially when built on shaky methodological and organisational grounds. The book proposes ten roadmaps to improve the current model, aiming to contribute to the upcoming review of the EU’s impact assessment model, scheduled for early 2006.