EPHA has provided detailed feedback to the European Commission’s consultation on the Better Regulation Framework, drawing on its long-standing engagement and its Better Regulations for Better Health Toolkit.
EPHA welcomes the Framework’s potential to strengthen evidence-based, transparent, and participatory EU policymaking, while warning that simplification and acceleration must not undermine the quality, independence, and diversity of evidence. The response highlights persistent imbalances between well-resourced commercial actors and civil society, particularly in the context of shrinking and unpredictable funding for civil society organisations. EPHA calls for a smarter, more inclusive consultation system, in which simplification is applied only where it genuinely reduces administrative burden and is accompanied by safeguards to prevent any narrowing of policy ambition or participation. The submission underlines that the effectiveness of Better Regulation fundamentally depends on a strong enabling environment that allows civil society to engage meaningfully, independently, and sustainably throughout EU decision-making
Key points raised by EPHA focus on:
- Balance: evidence-based and accelerated EU action must not privilege well-resourced actors; stable and predictable funding for civil society is essential to safeguard independent expertise and a balanced evidence base
- Quality: smarter consultations should improve usability and impact through longer timelines, clearer feedback on how input is used, and formats proportionate to the scope of initiatives, reducing stakeholder fatigue and disengagement
- Safeguards: simplification should only take place when it reduces unnecessary administrative burden while preserving policy ambition, the breadth of evidence considered, and inclusive participation, particularly for smaller and grassroots organisations
- Enabling environment: the effectiveness of Better Regulation depends on a strong civic space, including predictable multi-year funding, protection against intimidation and SLAPPs, transparent feedback loops, accessible and multilingual participation formats, and capacity-building support for civil society