Preventing gold-plating is once again reinstated by the EU as an important measure to reduce barriers to the single market. The Lithuanian Free Market Institute, in cooperation with other European think-tanks, presents a study Gold-Plating: How to Identify and Avoid.

The paper analyzes the effects and implications of gold-plating in the EU and provides best practices for preventing it.

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Research shows that gold-plating is not in line with the EU legislature’s goal of keeping the single market differences to a minimum. Typically, gold-plating translates into undue and adverse burdens to all. It does not only disadvantage nationals but also makes the EU less attractive to foreign investments.

The study recommends including gold-plating risk-assessment in the ex-ante and ex-post regulatory impact assessment (RIA). Notably, some Member States have already established guidelines on avoiding gold-plating but they are not paired with enforcement mechanisms thus making them de facto null.

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