Regulatory Reform In The Netherlands

The Dutch experience in regulatory reform has vital lessons about the modernisation of the European welfare state and its integration into the European single market. Regulatory reform is the most recent element in the reshaping of the Dutch model. Following reforms to labour markets and the social welfare system in the 1980s, Dutch governments in the 1990s have sought a "new balance between protection and dynamism" based on competition policy, regulatory reform, and market openness. Today, the Netherlands ranks among the top OECD countries by many measures of economic performance, including employment growth. Though still in its early phases, regulatory reform has already produced major gains for the Netherlands in terms of competitiveness, flexibility, and consumer benefits. Yet major challenges are still to be faced. Some important reforms have been slow, indicating that the balance between domestic consensus-building and policy responsiveness is still being adjusted in the modern Dutch model. Further reforms in many areas will bring important gains in boosting the employment rate, improving sectoral performance, and providing social protection at lower cost. The Netherlands is one of the first OECD countries to request a broad review by the OECD of its national regulatory practices and domestic regulatory reforms. This report -- the result of intensive assessment by the OECD and review by its Member countries -- is unique in that it presents an integrated assessment of regulatory reform in framework areas such as the macroeconomic context, the quality of the public sector, competition policy and enforcement, and integration of market openness principles in regulatory processes, and in sectors such as electricity and telecommunications. The policy recommendations present a balanced plan of action for both short and longer-term based on best international regulatory practices.

This book presents an integrated assessment of regulatory reform in the Netherlands in areas such as the macroeconomic context, the quality of the public sector, competition policy and enforcement, and integration of market openness, and in sectors such as electricity and telecommunications.

This report maps and analyses the core issues which together make up effective regulatory management for the Netherlands, laying down a framework of what should be driving regulatory policy and reform in the future.

Throughout the book the authors aim to show how the market can function more efficiently and offer policy recommendations to show how regulatory reform can improve competitiveness at the firm level as well as performance at the industry, national and EU levels.

In recent years, there have been many programs and initiatives focusing on improving the performance, cost-effectiveness and legal quality of regulations. The International Regulatory Reform Report 2008 reviews these developments in five key countries, namely France, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The selected pool of countries shares a variety of initiatives and techniques including reduction of red-tape and economic instruments for regulatory policy-making. The report discusses "better regulation initiatives, structures and instruments of each country, informing the reader about the economic attractiveness and cost-effectiveness of key regulatory reform countries as well as the accountability and efficiency of their national governments. The study's cross-national approach and its focus on specific strategies and instruments make it relevant to practitioners and academics alike.

This report maps and analyses the core issues which together make up effective regulatory management for the Netherlands, laying down a framework of what should be driving regulatory policy and reform in the future.

Report on the significance, direction, and means of reform in regulatory regimes in member countries. Contents: 1. Why reform regulations? 2. Effects of regulatory reform 3. Supporting public policy goals 4. Strategies for successful reform.