sääntelykuvaan

sääntelykuva refers to a conceptual model or framework used to analyze and structure regulatory policies and mechanisms. The term originates from Finnish and is commonly applied in public administration and regulatory studies to describe the underlying logic that connects regulatory objectives with the means of achieving them. It can be translated into English as “regulatory framework” or “regulatory model” but retains a distinct meaning in Finnish policy discourse.

The concept emerged in the early 1990s within the Finnish governance research community, influenced by European Union regulatory theory and Norwegian institutional analysis. It was introduced as a tool to clarify how different regulatory instruments—such as direct control, market-based mechanisms, self-regulation, and voluntary standards—can be combined to meet specific policy goals. The framework emphasizes the relationship between the regulatory goal, the constraints and incentives to regulated actors, and the feedback mechanisms that enable continuous policy learning.

In practice, sääntelykuva is used by governmental agencies to design, evaluate, and adjust regulations in areas such as environmental protection, consumer safety, financial services, and digital infrastructure. Policymakers develop a regulatory picture that maps out which instruments are most appropriate under given circumstances, taking into account legitimacy, enforceability, cost, and adaptability. The model also guides empirical research, allowing scholars to test hypotheses about regulatory effectiveness and to compare regulatory regimes across sectors or jurisdictions.

Critics argue that the sääntelykuva approach can oversimplify the complexity of real-world regulation, overlooking power dynamics and informal compliance practices. Despite these limitations, the framework remains widely adopted in Finnish public administration and has influenced related studies in other Nordic countries.