EU initiative of better regulation and its status in Lithuania

Implementation of better regulation is one of the top matters on legislative agenda of the European Commission. The main purpose of better regulation is to create more proper regulatory environment, i.e. legal acts that better meet the needs of business and society. At the EU level it is stressed that the different measures of better regulation, such as regulatory impact assessment, reduction of administrative burden, simplification and codification of legal act, etc., should directly contribute to the achievement of sustainable growth of economy and jobs. Although Member States are constantly encouraged by the European Commission, they still are rather reluctant regarding better regulation activities. They tend to adopt exhaustive better regulation policies, but usually refrain from result-orientated actions. Aim of the article is to determine the actual situation of better regulation initiative in Lithuania and make proposals for its improvement. By employing rigorous research methods it is sought to define the main features of better regulation and assess better regulation actions carried out by the EU and Member States. Better regulation activities of Lithuanian regulators and legislators are analysed separately. The analysis also includes critical assessment of the latest legal developments such as newly adopted Law on Legislative Framework and Law on Reduction of Administrative Burden. The article is supported by conceptual ideas of European scientists that make research on better regulation. Conclusion is drawn that better regulation activities in Lithuania do not create actual and significant results yet. There is no single system of implementation of better regulation principles – separate, unrelated laws are adopted, also there is an unhealthy trend to regard particularly the reduction of administrative burden as the only (important) measure of better regulation. Also, Lithuanian regulators do not sufficiently refer to good practices of better regulation already collected at the EU level. In order to achieve progress of better regulation initiative in Lithuania, it is proposed to form clear concept of better regulation, basically, by choosing the Law on Legislative Framework as the main tool for such purpose. As well, the importance to make research on better regulation in Lithuania is emphasized and further research vectors are proposed