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Examples of matters introduced by regulation were the new '.eu' [[DNS|___domain name]], and the new [[Europe]]an level 'Community Design Right' an example of [[intellectual property]] right.
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[[Regulatory Processes]]
'''Regulation''' in the context of government and public services means the control of something by rules, as opposed to its prohibition. Regulation represents a compromise between prohibition and no control at all.
Public services can have a potential conflict between commercial procedures, and the interests of the people using these services. Most of these therefore have some form of possibly indirect state regulation. For example, the sale and consumption of [[alcohol]] and [[prescription drug]]s are controlled by regulation in most countries, as are the food business, provision of personal or residential care, public transport, construction, film and TV, etc..
Regulation can have several elements:
* Public statutes, standards or statements of expectations.
* A process of registration or licencing to approve and to permit the operation of a service usually by a named organisation or person.
* A process of inspection or other form of ensuring standard compliance, or reporting and management of non-compliance: where there is continued non-compliance, then:
* A process of de-licencing whereby that organisation or person would have to stop operating at the expense of acting unlawfully.
Even activities which are not public services often have a limited form of regulation, for example FIFA the association for soccer, RYA for sailing in Britain. Regulation therefore comes close to the idea of an [[ethics]] for a given activity, to promote the best interests of the people participating as well as the acceptable continuation of the activitiy itself.
Regulation can be seen to impose unnecessary 'red tape' and other restrictions on businesses. As a result, there has been a movement towards decreasing regulation in recent years. Some people feel that little progress on this has meant that it is aspirational rather than a real intention.
See [http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/regulatory_reform_committee/regulatory_reform_orders.cfm A glimpse into some United Kingdom deregulatory procedures]
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