Editor’s Note: In a new report on International Regulatory Cooperation available here, GAO concluded that
Ultimately it is clear that international regulatory cooperation requires interagency coordination. No one U.S. agency has the expertise or processes to effectively conduct these activities. Not only must regulatory agencies collaborate with other U.S. agencies, but they need to effectively collaborate with their foreign counterparts and affected nonfederal stakeholders.
One of the primary objectives of the regulatory review function is to enhance coordination. CRE’s 2002 report proposing OMB review of independenent agency regulatory actions is available here. The GAO report’s single recommendation is reprinted in complete below.
From: GAO
To ensure that U.S. agencies have the necessary tools and guidance for effectively implementing international regulatory cooperation, we recommend that the Regulatory Working Group, as part of forthcoming guidance on implementing Executive Order 13609, take the following action:
- Establish one or more mechanisms, such as a forum or working group, to facilitate staff level collaboration on international regulatory cooperation issues and include independent regulatory agencies.