Unpacking the ideas that shape the health policy process: A genealogy of the EU’s Better Regulation agenda

Better Regulation – a meta-regulatory framework governing European Union (EU) policy-making, and a political determinant of health – is contested on account of the threat that it poses to health, environmental and other social objectives. This contestation stems from Better Regulation’s origins in neoliberal, market-driven rationalities, and the role of corporations in its promotion. Yet, precisely how, where and in what sense neoliberalism manifests within Better Regulation, whether it is the only or dominant set of beliefs that underpin the framework, and how this might (have) change(d) over time, is under-explored. Adopting a genealogical approach, this article seeks to construct a more nuanced account of the historical context, continual (re)interpretation, and potential for contestation of the beliefs that underpin Better Regulation, and ]thus to inform a more concrete assessment of the threat that its neoliberal (and other) origins pose to public health. Based on an analysis of EU policy documentation the article identifies three ‘roots’ of Better Regulation, informed by multiple ideas and rationalities, and argues that a more nuanced understanding might support efforts to make the underlying logics of Better Regulation work for public health, rather than against it.