About the Council (SBRC)

The Swedish Better Regulation Council (SBRC) is a specific decision-making body organized under the auspices of the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth. Its members are appointed by the government and the Council is responsible for its own decisions. Its task is to review and issue opinions on the quality of impact assessments to legislative proposals with effects to business. The Council shall also on request from regulators review impact assessments on EU-proposals that are assessed to have a great impact to businesses in Sweden. The establishment, mission and composition of the SBRC are found in section 17-19, Ordinance with instructions to The Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth (2009:145). To read more about the review of impact assessments carried out by the Council, click here.

The legal framework on impact assessments in Sweden has in its current form existed since 2007. Requirements concerning the conduct and content of impact assessments are however not always followed by the regulators when drafting proposals for new regulations. To rectify this, the Swedish government established the SBRC to ensure that impact assessments are carried out when required and that these assessments are of good quality. It is the Council’s strong belief that when deciding on new or amended regulation, the decision should rely on a strong evidence base where the likely impacts to business are described. The evidence base is the result of the regulator’s consideration of the effects of a proposal in an impact assessment.

The Council convenes every other week. Opinions are issued within the consultation period, or, when the processing of a matter by the Council does not coincide with a consultative round, within two weeks from the date on which the proposal was submitted for review to the Council.

The Swedish Better Regulation Council consists of a Chair, a Deputy Chair, three members, and six alternate members. A quorum is present when the Chair or Deputy Chair and two other members attend the meeting. In the event of a tied vote, the Chair casts the deciding vote. Any dissenting view has to be stated in the Council´s opinions.

The members of the SBRC have different backgrounds and special experience concerning the impact of regulations on enterprises. The Council is assisted by the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth which among other things prepares the cases and submits them for consideration to the Council.