Evaluation of the Saxon Regulatory Control Council Act

The National Institute for Public Administration (NIPAG) conducted an evaluation of the Saxon Regulatory Control Council Act(SächsNKRG) on behalf of the Saxon State Ministry of Justice (SMJus). The Saxon Regulatory Control Council (SächsNKR) is an external and independent advisory body that is intended to support the Saxon State Government in implementing measures to reduce bureaucracy and improve the quality of legislation.

The evaluation was designed as a retrospective regulatory impact assessment and aimed to examine the degree to which the objectives of the SächsNKRG have been achieved, its effectiveness, and the efficiency of regulatory implementation, as well as to identify any need for reform. The evaluation was carried out using a mixed-methods design: on the one hand, a comparative legal analysis of the SächsNKRG and other federal and state legal provisions was conducted; on the other hand, an empirical analysis of the regulation was undertaken. This included both qualitative and quantitative analyses of secondary data (annual reports, statistics), an online survey of heads of divisions in the Saxon state ministries and the Saxon State Chancellery, as well as expert interviews with the members and the secretariat of the SächsNKR.

The project was completed at the end of March 2026 with the submission of the evaluation report to the SMJus. In the report, the NIPAG concludes that the establishment of the SächsNKR has generally proven its worth, although its impact falls short of the expectations of the legislature. Against this background, the NIPAG has formulated a series of policy recommendations addressed to the Saxon State Parliament.