This page lists all the Regulatory Impact Assessments published by the FCO since 2003.

What is a Regulatory Impact Assessment?

In August 1998 the Prime Minister announced that no proposal for regulation which has an impact on business, charities or voluntary bodies should be considered by Ministers without a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) first being carried out. An RIA is a tool to weigh up the costs and benefits of a range of options for implementing a policy change. The RIA sets out the risks or problem to be addressed, and the various options available for dealing with them. It is designed to enable Ministers to decide whether the costs the regulation will impose will outweigh the benefits, or may alternatively demonstrate that there is a better alternative to regulation. A full RIA must accompany any primary, secondary and European legislation when it is presented to Parliament.

Further information can be found on the Cabinet Office website.

Legislation in the FCO

The FCO produces very few pieces of legislation which have an impact on businesses, charities, the voluntary (and now also the public) sectors. However, we welcome the opportunity of using this evidence-based policy tool in developing significant pieces of legislation.

It is a requirement that all RIAs should be made available on Departmental websites. New RIAs will be added to this page as they become available.

European Union Accessions Bill: Regulatory Impact Assessment (14 October 2005)  (PDF, 71K) European Union Accessions Bill: Regulatory Impact Assessment  (PDF, 37K) International Organisations Bill: Regulatory Impact Assessment  (PDF, 19K) Kimberley Process Certification Scheme for Rough Diamonds: Regulatory Impact Assessment  (PDF, 22K)