The Role of European Agencies in Transboundary Crises: Perspectives in the Post COVID-19 Era

George Nastos

doi:10.12681/hapscpbs.27673

Abstract

European Agencies (EAs) have a significant influence on policy-making and decision-making in key areas, whether we are talking about the daily lives of the citizens or about crisis management. The emergence of EAs was an institutional response to the need for policy coordination in the EU΄s system of governance. The last decade has created a new reality for the European Union, characterized by successive external transboundary crises. The increasingly urgent need for a European crisis response could signal a more active role for European agencies. During the global financial and public debt crisis, part of the EU's response was to set up three new European Agencies. The refugee crisis further strengthened existing agencies, such as EASO and FRONTEX. EU agencies are already playing an increasingly important role in shaping European policies as solutions to crises. Through the experience of the ongoing pandemic crisis of COVD-19, this policy brief seeks to highlight the importance of European Agencies in an effective European response to crises and to contribute to the discussion about the future role of EAs in transboundary crisis management.

Highlights

A crisis is characterized as a large-scale event that occurs unexpectedly, requires immediate action and threatens the fundamental values of a society (Larsson et al, 2009)
In the EU, there is no central agency for transboundary crisis management and, as Boldin & Boin (2017) argue, there is a gap between the rules written on paper and their practical use when it comes to EU crisis management
The immigration and economic crises have led to the expansion of the role of European agencies

Summary

Introduction

A crisis is characterized as a large-scale event that occurs unexpectedly, requires immediate action and threatens the fundamental values of a society (Larsson et al, 2009). A key feature of crises is that they cannot be dealt with using standard practices and existing resources. They require urgent action by the authorities in conditions of deep uncertainty (Donaldson, 1991). Crisis management refers to the preparation of, response to and recovery from extreme events. It can be further analysed in specific phases and activities, including threat assessment, prevention, mitigation, and recovery (Widmalm, Parker & Persson, 2019). Crises require flexibility and adaptation to the particular circumstances they represent These two key advantages are often limited by the political, administrative and statutory framework.

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Conclusions and Recommendations