The recently published Government Statement on Economic Regulation indicates that the Annual Regulatory Forum will meet in the first quarter of each year commencing in 2010. The first meeting of the Forum is expected to take place in the week beginning 1 March.
The Forum will involve meetings between the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, the Ministers for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Finance, Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and Transport and key regulators whose work is central to Irish economic performance and such other regulators as deemed appropriate from time to time. It will offer an opportunity to communicate evolving Government priorities relating to the economy, competitiveness and competition issues in an integrated way across sectors.
An agenda for the first meeting of the Forum has yet to be finalised but is expected to reflect these key priorities and major developments and trends in the regulated sectors at EU and domestic level, as well as offering an opportunity to assess progress made on the full range of actions set out in the Government Statement. Attendance at the meeting will be determined on the basis of a finalised agenda but will include the economic regulators reporting to the Ministers mentioned above and senior officials from their respective Departments.