Regulators' Compliance Code
The Environment Agency welcomes the Regulators’Compliance Code. From 6 April 2008, we must have regard to the Code in setting our policies for the way that we carry out our role as a regulator.
The Code is a Statutory Code of Practice issued to Regulators by the Government. It sets out standards for how we should work, based on the principles of better regulation, in seven particular areas of regulatory activity. These are:
- allowing or encouraging economic progress;
- using risk assessment;
- providing advice and guidance;
- undertaking inspections;
- requesting information and sharing data;
- undertaking compliance and enforcement actions;
- being accountable.
We welcome the Code. We are fully committed to better regulation and we have been modernising our approach to regulation since 2000 . The better regulation principles that underlie the Code are at the core of:
- our corporate strategies for 2002-07 and now for 2006-11;
- our More for the Environment programme for changing the way we work to ensure we meet that strategy.
Our approach is described in detail in our publication Delivering for the Environment, published in 2005. We are recognised as a leader in the development of better regulation, both nationally and internationally, and we are well placed to meet the Government’s Better Regulation initiatives. Examples of our work (such as Opra and NetRegs) are quoted as good practice in the Code.
We will ensure we follow the Code to the extent that it is technically, economically and legally practicable. For example there are limitations to the extent to which we are able to provide advice and guidance to all businesses, share data with other regulators and conduct joint inspections.
We have reviewed how we follow the Code and believe we have regard to it in carrying out our regulatory role. We are committed to improving the way we regulate including the visibility and transparency of our implementation of the Code.
You can use the link below to read our full Compliance Code response.
