Impact Assessment Board (IAB)

The Impact Assessment Board is a central quality control and support function working under the authority of the Commission President. It was created at the end of 2006. It is chaired by the Deputy Secretary General responsible for Better Regulation.

The Board examines and issues opinions on all the Commission's impact assessments.

It is independent of the policy making departments. Its members are high-level officials from the Commission departments most directly linked with the three pillars of the impact assessment - economic, social and environmental impacts. The members have been appointed in a personal capacity and on the basis of their expert knowledge.

The Board examines and issues opinions on the quality of individual draft impact assessments prepared by the Commission departments. The Board can also draw on external expertise. The Board also provides advice to Commission departments on methodology at the early stages of preparation of the impact assessments.

The opinionsof the Board are not binding. However, the opinion accompanies the draft initiative together with the impact assessment report throughout the Commission's political decision-making. The Commission impact assessment is an aid - not a substitute - for political judgement. Ultimately it is the Commission which decides whether or not to adopt an initiative, taking account of the impact assessment and the Board's opinion.

The work of the IAB is transparent. All impact assessments and all IAB opinions are published once the Commission has adopted the relevant proposal.