Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 52: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of regulatory impact assessments carried out by his Department since the publication of the White Paper on Better Regulation; if RIAs are planned in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23516/06]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Since the publication of the White Paper on Better Regulation in January 2004, six Regulatory Impact Assessments have been undertaken, or are currently underway, within my Department as follows:

1. A full RIA was carried out, under the aegis of the Company Law Review Group (CLRG), as an integral part of its review in the latter half of 2005 of Section 45 of the Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Act 2003.

2. A screening RIA was carried out on the proposed Export Control Legislation 2005.

3. An impact assessment was carried out on the EU's draft REACH Regulation during 2004 on commissioned by Forfás. While the assessment was far more in-depth than a screening RIA, it was not a full RIA in the sense that it was confined to economic impact, and did not address other impacts.

4. A screening RIA is currently being undertaken on the amended draft Directive on Services.

5. A screening RIA is currently being conducted on a proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the exercise of voting rights by shareholders of companies having their registered office in a Member State and whose shares are admitted to trading on a regulated market, amending Directive 2004/109/EC. The European Commission published this proposal in January 2006.

6. A screening RIA is currently at an advanced stage in relation to new regulations on occupational Safety, Health and Welfare at Work.

Two further Regulatory Impact Assessments are planned to take place in the near future as follows:

1. A screening RIA on the Amended Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on criminal measures aimed at ensuring the enforcement of intellectual property rights.

2. A screening RIA on the Collective Investment Schemes Consolidation Bill.