Welcome to the IRRC 2008!

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Welcome to the 2008 International Regulatory Reform Conference!

Following last year's successful event, the Bertelsmann Stiftung is pleased to be hosting a second conference on this vital topic. This year's gathering will take place from November 16 to 18, once again in the heart of Berlin.

In today's complex and interconnected world, regulations play a greater role than ever before in giving society structure, for instance through the setting of social, economic and environmental standards. By establishing order, regulations touch upon core values, such as liberty and equality. When well conceived, regulations can help bring prosperity and strengthen democracy. This has sparked a lively debate in the last few years on how to improve the quality of regulation. It's a debate we at the Bertelsmann Stiftung would like to promote.

And that's exactly the purpose of IRRC 2008. In five work streams, the conference will examine many different aspects of regulatory reform, including best practices, measuring regulatory quality and the role of international cooperation in regulatory efforts. The work streams will be framed by keynote speeches offering new ideas and broader insights and by highly interactive networking events.

I am particularly happy that so many well-known organizations and individuals will be joining us as co-hosts, thereby ensuring the IRRC offers many thought-provoking sessions. Their contributions will both broaden our agenda and ensure the highest levels of relevance and quality.

The conference will bring together different perspectives on the issue of regulatory reform. We will hear from academics and practitioners at the national and international level, as well as from those affected by regulations, such as businesses. By looking at best practices from different countries and supra-national organizations, we hope to promote a lively exchange of ideas and approaches, opening up new insights for all of us. My wish is that this conference will serve as a platform for an open exchange of ideas and experiences, one that will help create a network among all stakeholders.

For your convenience, detailed information will be added to the IRRC website and online registration will begin there within the next few weeks.

I look forward to seeing you in Berlin!

Gunter Thielen