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EU grant allows Denmark to develop method to prioritise revision of legislation

DK to develop method to revise existing legislation

Published on: 31/03/2022 News

The Danish Agency for Digitisation has received a grant of 600,000 EUR from the European Commission to develop a new method in collaboration with the OECD, for finding and prioritizing existing legislation that needs a digital review. The aim is to develop a best practice method in the form of a “guide” that can be used to promote digital-ready legislation.

Much of the legislation that underpins the way public authorities carry out their tasks was drafted at a time when there was not the same focus as today on making legislation digitally ready. In some areas the legislation is so complex today that it can be difficult for both citizens and companies to see through which rules apply and difficult for the authorities to administer.

In 2018, a broad political agreement made it mandatory in Denmark to assess whether all new Danish legislation is digital-ready. However, in Denmark alone there are still more than 1,600 laws in force, which were passed before digital-ready legislation became a focus area. To enable authorities to deliver effective digital services and thereby ensure a cohererent and modern public sector it is therefore necessary to review the existing legislation on an ongoing basis. The same is true in many other countries.

If the authorities' work to modernise the rules is to lead to better digital service and task solving, it would therefore be very valuable to have a 'roadmap' that can help to prioritise which laws and rules need to be reviewed first, because this can particularly lead to better digital service and task solving.

The Agency for Digitisation therefore intends to develop such a guide in cooperation with the OECD's Regulatory Policy Unit. This is made possible by a grant of 600,000 EUR from the European Commission. The aim is to develop a best practice method that can be used broadly.