Monitoring and evaluation

Monitoring refers to the continuous collection of information by Ministries on how legislation works after its entry into force. Evaluations, on the other hand, are one-off and more in-depth information collection projects that assess the impacts and development needs of regulation.

The monitoring and evaluation of legislation provide important information on the functioning and up-to-dateness of regulation. At the same time, monitoring and evaluation produce information for the preparation of future legislative reforms. They also promote the openness, accountability and acceptability of decision-making.

Preparations for monitoring and possible evaluation are made already during the law drafting process. Information on ongoing and completed evaluation projects is mainly published in the Government Project Register.

The Ministry of Justice coordinates the development of legislative evaluation in the Government, but Ministries are responsible for carrying out monitoring and evaluation in their respective sectors.

The Government has drawn up common principles for the monitoring and evaluation of legislation. The principles address the planning, implementation and reporting of monitoring and evaluation of legislation as well as special issues related to EU legislation and treaties.

More information: the Government's common principles for the monitoring and ex post evaluation of legislation