Understanding the Costs of Environmental Regulation in Europe

Edited by Michael MacLeod, Researcher, Scottish Agricultural College, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, Paul Ekins, Professor of Energy and Environment Policy, UCL Energy Institute, University College London, UK, Robin Vanner, Visiting Fellow, Policy Studies Institute, London, England, UK and Dominic Moran, Senior Environmental Economist, Scottish Agricultural College, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Government regulation is necessary to the economic life of all developed countries. However, although regulation is designed to benefit society at large, the costs of regulation, in particular the cost estimates employed in the policy-making process, are often hotly debated. Drawing on recent case studies, this innovative book examines the accuracy of regulatory cost estimates and explores in detail how these costs are calculated, the apparent relationship between ex post and ex ante calculations and why this might be.