Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) - understood as the formalised analytical
activities initiated or carried out by central government administrations when
designing specific policy instruments - is currently receiving high levels of
political attention. It is seen as a tool to improve regulatory quality and to
promote cross-cutting objectives such as sustainable development. Often
conceived as an economic analysis of costs and benefits, RIA tends to be
depicted as ‘neutral’ assessment process that informs decision makers about
‘facts’. This does not explain, of course, why RIA often becomes an arena for
political conflict involving both government departments and stakeholders.
Based on empirical research on the design and practical application of RIA
across the European Union, this paper explores the relationship between RIA,
policy-making and politics. The aim is to shed light on what knowledge is
produced, how it is used by different actors and what role it plays in
decision-making. Based on this analysis, we explore to what extent and under
what conditions RIA can serve as a tool for more evidence-based and
sustainability-oriented policy-making processes