The socio-economic costs of detailed regulation

This report analyses and discusses the socio-economic costs of detailed regulation. It includes a specific analysis of the socio-economic costs of collection of health card charges. A description is given of the political processes behind the regulation, and an analysis is presented of what procedures the regulation gives rise to at local authority level.

The example demonstrates that the adoption of an apparently simple regulation centrally results in surprisingly extensive procedures locally. Moreover, it is found that the costs (including the actual payment) borne by the citizen in connection with the issue of the card are fairly high in relation to the costs associated with the administration of the card. It is therefore important to be aware of the socio-economic costs of a specific regulation between its political adoption and its encounter with the public.