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Administrative Simplification As an Instrument for Coping with the Economic Crisis

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Abstract

The papers collected in this chapter address the relationship between administrative simplification and the economic crisis by analysing the experience of several European countries (particularly, France and Spain). Simplification programs implemented in these countries affect two different profiles, one regulatory and the other procedural, in order to reduce bureaucratic fulfilments for citizens and support the creation of new businesses. In conclusion, the authors point out the difficulties of implementing such programs, often hindered by the public administration.

The contribution titled “The French experience of administrative simplification” was written by Davide Occhetti while the one titled “Administrative simplification in Spain” by Nicola Gambino.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The group was composed of Aldo Travi, Pasquale Cerbo, Sara Spuntarelli, Giammarco Sigismondi, Giovanni D’Angelo, Davide Occhetti, Nicola Gambino and Martina Condorelli.

  2. 2.

    On the topic of administrative simplification there is a vast bibliography in Italy. For attention dedicated also to critical profiles on simplification, among the most recent contributions the following may be indicated, Pinelli (2014), Spina (2013), Carli (2012), Spasiano (2010), Vesperini (2010), Vandelli (2008) and Lazzara (2008). For a comparative analysis, cf. VV.AA. (2006).

  3. 3.

    For references to the French system, see the contribution by D. Occhetti on the policies of administrative simplification and modernisation in France further on in this chapter.

  4. 4.

    Debenedetti (2015).

  5. 5.

    With regard to this, on the work carried out in Italy by the parliamentary Commission for simplification, and on further prospects of reform, cf. Benedetti (2014).

  6. 6.

    Warsmann (2011). For the incidence of this report on legislative activity, cf. Assemblée Nationale, XIII legislature (2011).

  7. 7.

    Cf. in similar terms, for the English experience, Gibbons and Parker (2012).

  8. 8.

    Cf. in particular, VV.AA. (2012) and Mattarella (2012).

  9. 9.

    Gibbons and Parker (2013). See also Office of the Parliamentary Counsel—Cabinet Office (2013).

  10. 10.

    This expression is by Ernst and Pinkt (2013).

  11. 11.

    Directive of Parliament and the Council no. 2006/123/EC of 12 December 2006.

  12. 12.

    For the Spanish experience, see the contribution by N. Gambino on administrative simplification in Spain further on in this chapter.

  13. 13.

    de Graaf (2013).

  14. 14.

    The term conferenza di servizi refers to an institution of simplification of the Italian administrative procedure (arts. 14 and following, Law no. 241/1990), which allows public administrations to carry out a contextual examination of the various interests involved in a procedure so to reach an agreement. The Italian legislator, in order to guarantee the achievement of the final resolution, has also considered some systems to overcome dissent.

  15. 15.

    See in Italy the derogations provided for by Art.19, subparagraphs 1 and 4-bis, with regard to the measure of the s.c.i.a., and by Art.20, subparagraph 4, with regard to tacit approval (in the text of Law no. 241/1990 at present in force); see in Spain, in the implementation of the service directive, the maintenance of derogations to tacit approval on account of “imperative reasons of national interest”.

  16. 16.

    Cf. the drawing of the “Liste des procédures pour lesquelles le silence gardé par l’administration sur une demande vaut accord”, in www.legifrance.gouv.fr, last consulted 1 February 2016.

  17. 17.

    This situation clearly emerged even in the preliminary phase of the drawing of the lists provided for by Art. 5 of Law no. 124 of 7 August 2015.

  18. 18.

    Behind all the normative interventions regarding simplification, even when they have been adopted by Parliament, there has always been the precise initiative of Governments.

  19. 19.

    Dyens (2015), pp. 62 ff.

  20. 20.

    On this point, see supra in this chapter.

  21. 21.

    Rompre avec la facilité de la dette publique (2005).

  22. 22.

    Dyens (2015), pp. 62 ff.

  23. 23.

    La simplification du droit au service de la croissance et de l’emploi (2011).

  24. 24.

    Dyens (2015), pp. 62 ff.

  25. 25.

    See supra in Travi.

  26. 26.

    Responsible for coordinating, favouring and supporting the work carried out by the various Administrations so as to evaluate and modernise public activity, improve the service rendered to citizens and to users, and contribute to the good management of public resources.

  27. 27.

    Responsible, in particular, for the simplification of norms and procedures.

  28. 28.

    The “choc de simplification”, announced on 28 March 2013 by President François Hollande, consists of 200 measures regarding enterprises, private citizens and public administrations.

  29. 29.

    See supra in Travi.

  30. 30.

    This principle was introduced with the décret imperial of 2 November 1864, Art. 7. On this, see Ribes (2014), p. 389; Tifine (2015); De Graaf and Hoogstra (2013), pp. 25 ff.

  31. 31.

    L’État en France: servire une nation ouverte sur le monde: rapport au Premier ministre (1995).

  32. 32.

    Tifine (2015); De Graaf and Hoogstra (2013), pp. 25 ff.; Ribes (2014), pp. 389 ff.

  33. 33.

    Cassia (2015), pp. 201 ff.

  34. 34.

    This list, made up of 113 pages, can be downloaded from the website www.legifrance.gouv.fr , last consulted 1 February 2016. The list does not have a legal value, but it is published for purely informational purposes, as it provides the procedures that are not included in any of the exceptions envisaged by law or decrees.

  35. 35.

    Travi (1985), p. 80. In Italy, instead, jurisprudence excludes the imputability of tacit approval from the administrative act. See Travi (1985), pp. 109 ff.

  36. 36.

    Travi (1985), pp. 44 ff.

  37. 37.

    Saïdié (2013), pp. 514 ff.

  38. 38.

    Auby et al. (2015), p. 491; Saïdié (2013), pp. 514 ff. In Italy, instead, jurisprudence construes the s.c.i.a. (certified notice of commencement of construction works) as characterised by the fact that the legal authorisation to carry out the declared activity pertains directly to the law. The inclusion of the s.c.i.a. in the system of authorisation has also been rejected in Italian law, in particular by the ruling of the Council of State in plenary session, 29 July 2011, no. 15, that has confirmed the inclusion of the s.c.i.a. among the liberalised activities.

  39. 39.

    CE, 23 October 2013, SARL Prestig’immo, n. 344454.

  40. 40.

    In Italy, instead, given the inclusion of the s.c.i.a. among the liberalised activities, it is not possible for third parties to protect themselves through an action of annulment. The legislator (see Art. 6 D-L. n. 138/2011, then Law 148/2011), with regard to this, has provided for the fact that third parties can warn the administration against the adoption of disqualifying or repressive measures, or, in the case of inertia, can protect themselves by presenting an appeal against silence.

  41. 41.

    Sáiz (2011), p. 23 and ff.

  42. 42.

    In particular, Law no. 12/2012 eliminates municipal licences and authorisations provided for the protection of the environment, for public safety and health necessary for retail businesses with a surface area of up to 300 m2.

  43. 43.

    Cf. Ministerio de hacienda y administraciones publicas—Secreteria de Estado de administracione publicas (2014), pp. 5-6-17.

  44. 44.

    The name of the project Emprende en tres derives from the number of public administrations involved: Administración General del Estado, Comunidades Autónomas and Entidades Locales. Cf. CORA—Subcomisión de simplificación administrativa (2014), p. 19.

  45. 45.

    The PAE were created by merging different departments having the same function: the Punto de Asesoramiento e Inicio de Tramitación (PAIT), the Ventanilla Única Empresarial (VUE) and the Ventanilla única de la Directiva de Servicios (VUDS). Cf. CORA—Subcomisión de simplificación administrativa (2014), p. 18.

  46. 46.

    Law no. 30/1992 has recently been substituted by Ley 39/2015, de 1 de octubre, del Procedimiento Administrativo Común de las Administraciones Públicas, and by Ley 40/2015, de 1 de octubre, de Régimen Jurídico del Sector Público. Both, however, will come into force a year after their publication in the BOE (Boletín Oficial del Estado), which occurred on 2 October 2015. The new texts do not introduce substantial novelties in the regulations of the herein cited provisions: in many cases, the provisions of Law no. 30/1992 have simply been reproduced in the new laws.

  47. 47.

    The first Spanish law on administrative procedure, dated 1889, is one of the most ancient examples of the regulation of the relations between citizens and public administration. Cf. Pastori (1964), p. 384.

  48. 48.

    With the Real Decreto 670/1999 the Comisión Interministerial de Simplificación Administrativa was instituted, with the purpose of developing the process of simplification which has formally begun with Law no. 4/1999.

  49. 49.

    Ministerio de hacienda y administraciones publicas—Secreteria de Estado de administracione publicas (2014), pp. 14–15.

  50. 50.

    Ministerio de hacienda y administraciones publicas—Secreteria de Estado de administracione publicas (2014), p. 17.

  51. 51.

    The Manual is a guide for the general administration of the State with the purpose of facilitating the implementation of the public administration reform.

  52. 52.

    Ministerio de hacienda y administraciones publicas—Secreteria de Estado de administracione publicas (2014), pp. 18–19.

  53. 53.

    Cf. Aguado I Cudolà (2006), pp. 46–47.

  54. 54.

    The requirement to issue a prompt provision after the occurrence of silence is subject to the following procedure: in cases of silencio positivo, the public administration is obliged to adopt a confirmative act regarding the silence itself; in cases of silencio negativo, the administration may adopt a procedure of acceptance of the request presented by the citizen (Art. 43, subp. 3).

  55. 55.

    Cf. Agirreazkuenaga Zigorraga (2010), p. 25 and ff.

  56. 56.

    See Anexo I to Real decreto ley 8/2011.

  57. 57.

    Torres (2011), p. 91; Pérez and López de Castro García-Morato (2010), p. 16.

  58. 58.

    González García (2010), p. 280.

  59. 59.

    Cf. also subparagraph 2, Art. 39-bis, Law no. 30/1992: “Las Administraciones Públicas velarán por el cumplimiento de los requisitos aplicables según la legislación correspondiente, para lo cual podrán comprobar, verificar, investigar e inspeccionar los hechos, actos, elementos, actividades, estimaciones y demás circunstancias que se produzcan”.

  60. 60.

    Prieto Romero and Gómez Alonso (2011), p. 198.

  61. 61.

    Prieto Romero and Gómez Alonso (2011), p. 200.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy

    Aldo Travi

  2. J.D., Milan, Italy

    Davide Occhetti & Nicola Gambino

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  1. Aldo Travi
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  2. Davide Occhetti
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  3. Nicola Gambino
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Correspondence to Aldo Travi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. ANAC-Autorità Nazionale Anticorruzione, Roma, Italy

    Francesco Merloni

  2. University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy

    Alessandra Pioggia

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Travi, A., Occhetti, D., Gambino, N. (2018). Administrative Simplification As an Instrument for Coping with the Economic Crisis. In: Merloni, F., Pioggia, A. (eds) European Democratic Institutions and Administrations. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72493-5_11

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