The Scottish Government is committed to consulting with all parties potentially affected by proposals for new regulation, or where any regulation is being changed significantly.
All policy changes, whether European or domestic, which may have an impact upon business, charities or the voluntary sector should be accompanied by a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA).
The RIA helps policy makers to think through and analyse the costs and benefits of the proposed legislation. It also ensures that any potential effect on business, particularly small enterprises, are taken into account before regulations are made.
There are two stages in the RIA process: