We promote the use of government-to-government regulatory cooperation initiatives and the implementation of Good Regulatory Practices (GRPs) between foreign governments. GRPs include commitments to transparency, collaboration between governments and stakeholders, and the use of risk and science-based decision making. Also, we work to shape the international roles and responsibilities of U.S. regulators while working with member companies to address regulatory challenges in specific sectors.
Policy Priorities
- Encouraging a paradigm shift in the mind-set of regulators to (1) see their actions in the context of other regulatory frameworks around the world and (2) recognize that regulatory cooperation offers enhanced enforcement and elimination of unnecessary regulatory barriers to trade and investment.
- Increasing regulatory transparency, taking into account and responding to stakeholder input.
- Using regulatory best practices such as impact assessments, cost-benefit analysis, risk measurement and management, data quality, and reliance on sound science.
- Focusing regulation on the core requirements necessary to protect legitimate objectives thus eliminating protectionist and discriminatory regulations that circumvent commitments to open markets.
- Championing the least burdensome approach to achieving a desired regulatory outcome.
- Making better regulations and cooperation a strategic and political imperative when negotiating trade agreements.
- Limiting the role of government in standard setting and conformity assessment, instead creating a greater reliance on voluntary and private sector standards in government regulation.
- Transforming the international role and responsibility of U.S. regulatory agencies to advance their enforcement mandate through regulatory cooperation arrangements while supporting the removal of regulatory irritants that impede the flow of goods and services.
- Developing bilateral and multilateral industry-specific regulatory cooperation initiatives.