A rule or directive made and maintained by an authority. Governmental regulations, also called rules, specify mandatory requirements that must be met under specific laws. These requirements may address health, product safety, operator/user safety, environmental effects, quarantine requirements, consumer protection, packaging and labeling product characteristics, or other matters in the public interest. A regulation may consist of agency-developed technical specifications or requirements, or it may permit use of particular private sector standards as a means of compliance.
Compare initiative and standard.