Press / media

• Adapting UK rulemaking to the new Brexit and COVID-19 reality, Open Access Government
• The UK must urgently renew its approach to developing regulations, Global Government Forum

uk responses

• International regulatory cooperation for a global Britain: UK government response to an OECD review
• Open consultation on International regulatory cooperation strategy: call for evidence
• Press release - International regulatory cooperation for a global Britain
• Written Ministerial Statements laid in Parliament

key findings

• A multiplicity of UK actors are involved in the conduct and oversight of IRC, without specific leadership role or common direction; a whole of UK government vision and strategy could help level up the IRC ambition and create a better connected economy;
• The UK has a robust better regulation framework and processes. However, so far, they have a strong domestic focus and could more systematically embed a global outlook in the core business of Departments and regulators;
• The UK has actively co-operated internationally on laws and regulations as well as on regulatory policy; some Departments and regulators are also very active in embedding international considerations in their rulemaking. Overall, however, there is limited common awareness about IRC and cross-fertilisation of experience. Greater expectations, guidance and peer learning would help build an IRC culture in domestic rulemaking.
• UK withdrawal from the EU will result in new regulatory responsibilities for UK Departments and regulators, as well as in designing a trade policy with the EU and countries across the world. Core regulatory policy tools incorporating IRC dimensions can help policy makers address the forthcoming challenges of building a well performing regulatory framework and avoid undue regulatory divergence and frictions.

The OECD recommends:

• Building a holistic IRC vision, a strategy and political leadership for IRC in the United Kingdom, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities for key players, to develop quality regulation in a globalised context;
• Embedding IRC more systematically in regulatory management tools and throughout the rulemaking cycle, to guarantee that IRC is more systematically considered by Departments and regulators
• Increasing awareness and understanding about IRC across Departments and regulators, including on the variety of existing IRC practices, and engage stakeholders to inform the development of IRC initiatives

policy briefs

• Review of International Regulatory Co-operation of the United Kingdom - Policy Brief (2020)
• International Regulatory Co-operation - Policy Brief (2020)