European Union Agencies Research Articles

European Union Agencies: A global governance perspective

European Union agencies have been studied explicitly or implicitly from two distinct perspectives: an intergovernmental or a supranational point of view. Both relate to broader dynamics and aim to understand the forces that EU agencies respond to. However, different authors have pointed out that both perspectives can be observed simultaneously in EU agencies. This is because they combine intergovernmental coordination and access to supranational power with different intensities under conditions of institutional isolation and a strong professional identity. This article takes as its starting point this integrating vision and argues that EU agencies function as a new type of regional trans-governmental body that is flexible, adapts to the new age of global governance and actively participates in it. The paper discusses the literature on EU agencies along these lines and concludes with a plea to favour an analysis that includes global governance, in order to better understand how these bodies operate in transnational spaces. The fragmentation of sovereignty into multiple levels and regulatory spaces, where complex sectorial systems take on a global dimension to produce public goods, requires articulating hybrid institutional structures. EU agencies respond perfectly to this need as their institutional design endows them with a strong capacity for multilevel interaction.

Towards a Comprehensive Framework for Understanding EU Enforcement Regimes

Next to Member States, European Union (EU) level organisations have come to play a larger role in enforcement in the EU during the last two decades. Analysing the roles of Member States, networks of national authorities and EU agencies in this stage of the policy cycle through multiple academic lenses could lead to a more comprehensive understanding and assessment of their design. This article sets elementary steps towards a framework that brings together prominent theoretical insights from the legal and political disciplines, to discuss their combined leverage for understanding the EU legislator's choice for these enforcement regimes.

Beware of Courts Bearing Gifts: Transparency and the Court of Justice of the European Union

This article reconsiders the principle of transparency in the European Union (EU) legal order and takes as its focal point the contribution of the EU Courts as regards the presumptions of non-disclosure of EU documents. The aim is to investigate the role played by the judiciary in relation to a twofold question: How open can the Union’s decision-making be, and is it possible for citizens to participate in the decision-making process of EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies? The article argues that accountability deficits in the field of access to documents have been filled, to an extent, by the EU Courts’ imposition of boundaries on the broad derogations to the right of access to documents. But nevertheless, the article concludes that the establishment through the case law of general presumptions against openness has fundamentally weakened the standards of accountability. Rather regrettably, although the EU legislature set the default position to the widest access to documents, this has been reversed to non-disclosure by the EU judiciary as regards non-legislative documents.

Representative bureaucracy in European Union agencies

ABSTRACTThis article provides, through the lens of the theory of representative bureaucracy, a detailed and systematic assessment of diversity regarding gender, nationality, educational qualifications and professional background among the individuals serving in the management boards and scientific committees of European Union agencies (EAs). Drawing on a novel dataset of 508 members, our findings show that these decision-making bodies are generally composed of male experts, and that their inclusiveness of nationalities seems to be related to their formal institutional design. We also find that experts generally have extensive scientific training, even in those agencies that include national representation. This finding provides tentative support for the idea that representative bureaucracies can have a high degree of specialization. Our results also demonstrate that while EAs seem to be open to experts who have worked in the private sector, these bodies show a limited inclusiveness towards individuals with experience in civil society organizations.

EU Rules Beyond its Borders: The Policy‐specific Effects of Transgovernmental Networks and EU Agencies in the European Neighbourhood

AbstractThe European Union (EU) is increasingly involved in its rule advancement outside its borders through a dense net of transgovernmental networks. However, we know little about the effects of these networks. This article assesses the impact of transgovernmental networks across various policy domains in the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) region. Building on a novel longitudinal dataset, we demonstrate that the effects of transgovernmental networks vary across policy sectors. Policies marked by a higher degree of mutual interdependence exhibit greater positive change as a result of denser networks. Meanwhile, the involvement of EU agencies stimulates more intense technical co‐operation and broadens the range of policy areas covered. In doing so, EU agencies serve as bridges for the establishment of strong links between the EU and its neighbours.

From environmental policy concepts to practicable tools: Knowledge creation and delegation in multilevel systems

The problem‐solving capacity and problem‐generating potential of multilevel systems entail the need for the delegation of authority. When the problem concerned is about how to put an abstract policy concept into a practicable policy tool, the choice of the respective delegation trajectory depends on the policy models or the policy‐relevant knowledge that the respective political levels can supply. When regarding the European Union (EU) level as the starting point of knowledge creation and delegation trajectories, and concentrating on transaction costs, policy knowledge and models generated at the international level provide the most cost‐effective solution. Only when the international level is not able to provide further policy knowledge and innovation does the EU delegate its definitional authority, first downward to the member states and then sideways to EU agencies. We illustrate the plausibility of our dynamic understanding of multilevel governance by using Environmental Policy Integration as an example.

Meeting expectations in the EU regulatory state? Regulatory communications amid conflicting institutional demands

ABSTRACT European Union agencies are crucial institutional agents of the EU regulatory state. As such, they are faced with multiple expectations from a broad array of audiences. Reputation literature teaches us that the process of how organisations manage the expectations of their multifaceted audiences is central to organisational reputation. However, there has been little research about the diverse aspects of organisational reputation that EU agencies communicate to legitimise their existence. And how does this vary over time, across agencies, and why? More broadly, the study reflects on the implications of these attempts at self-presentation for the regulatory state's legitimising credentials. It introduces a novel measurement of reputational dimensions and draws on a quantitative analysis of all EU regulatory agencies’ annual reports across time. Our findings indicate that agencies are becoming more reputationally-astute over time, expanding their reputational repertoire. However, this expansion is consistent with the tenants of the EU regulatory state.

КЛАСИФІКАЦІЯ ПРИКОРДОННИХ ВІДОМСТВ КРАЇН ЄВРОПЕЙСЬКОГО СОЮЗУ ЗА ТИПОМ ПІДГОТОВКИ ПЕРСОНАЛУ

Introduction. The article reveals the classification of border authorities of the countries of the European Union (EU) by the type of personnel training. The typology of agencies and characteristic features of personnel training in border and coast guard agencies in EU countries has been considered. Purpose. To review the EU agencies with border guard functions and their departmental educational institutions in order to determine their characteristic features and provide their classification according to the type of personnel training. Methods. In order to achieve the purpose of the study, the following set of methods was used: analysis of pedagogical and psychological literature, synthesis, comparison, comparative study of the concepts, trends, pedagogical observation, collection and generalization of independent characteristics on the problem of classification of the European Union border guard agencies by the personnel training type . Results. Border agencies of the EU countries according to the type of personnel training can be divided into 4 groups. The first group includes agencies where the border guards are trained as police officers. The second group includes the border authorities where border guards first undergo police training, and then special training on border protection as an additional part to the basic training course. The third group includes agencies where police officers and border guards are trained separately. The fourth group includes countries where is conducted training of immigration and border checks specialists. Originality. For the first time was conducted a thorough research of the European Union Border Guard Agencies and their complete classification by the personnel training type was presented. Conclusion. The classification has been considered with the purpose of its using to improve the system of professional training of personnel of the Ukrainian border guard service.

EU Agencies and the Energy Union: Providing Useful Information to the Commission?

The development of the energy policy of the European Union (EU) has been accompanied by organizational reforms of the EU’s energy bureaucracy. Much attention has been paid to Commission President Juncker’s reorganization of the European Commission, including how this has influenced the Energy Union initiative. The establishment of EU agencies has also expanded the EU administration and the capacity for developing new initiatives and coordinating implementation of EU legislation. However, recent research has not been sufficiently connected to policy studies on energy, climate and environment. This article analyses the extent to which two EU agencies—the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators, and the European Environmental Agency—augment the policymaking capacity of the Commission by providing information that aids its work. The article ends with a discussion of the potential implications of agencification.

Exploring Strategy-Making in ‘Non-New Public Management’ Public Services Settings: The Case of European Union Agencies

A growing public management literature has debated whether strategic management models originally developed for private firms are also relevant to contemporary public agencies. Thus far, it has been easier to apply strategic management models centred on competitive advantage in jurisdictions in which new public management (NPM) reforms have left an enduring inheritance, with the emphasis in these settings on the autonomization of public agencies and a prominent concern with ‘performance’. Based on the case study of public agencies in the European Union, we argue there is potential to apply strategic management models in other jurisdictions where the penetration of NPM has been much lower, provided certain conditions of agency autonomy are met and factors—such as stakeholders’ expectations stimulating the adoption of strategic management models—perform as the functional equivalent of the pressures provided by NPM incentivization systems. The paper contributes to the literature aimed at employing the discipline of strategic management—a thriving field of inquiry business administration and management—as a valuable source of knowledge for the advancement of public management.

Guaranteeing the ECB’s democratic accountability in the post-Banking Union era: An ever more difficult task?

Following the Great Financial Crisis, the European Central Bank’s functions have been significantly altered. It is now involved in the functioning of a variety of European Union bodies and agencies, new powers in the field of banking supervision have been attributed to it and it has resorted to unconventional monetary policy. Such a concentration of powers arguably gives rise to issues of accountability and institutional balance within the European Union: (i) the resulting institutional framework is particularly complex and difficult to understand; (ii) the numerous functions the European Central Bank assumes makes it increasingly difficult to identify in which arena(s) it should be held to account for which action; and (iii) its role in the different bodies or agencies may vary in theory and in practice, which, in turn, influences the degree to which the European Central Bank should be held to account. This article aims at showing to what extent the European Central Bank’s role has multiplied and diversified with a view to assess how it is held to account in those different instances, and what the consequences are for the European Central Bank’s democratic accountability, primarily towards the European Parliament, as well as towards the Council of the European Union and national parliaments where applicable.

Effluent Water Reuse Possibilities in Northern Cyprus

Northern Cyprus (NC) is suffering from limited water resources and reiterated drought condition experiences due to global warming effects. Previous studies revealed that the water management policy in the country is not sustainable from the perspective of demand and balance. Apparently, the reuse of recycled water will be an alternative resource and can be utilized for some specific purposes to reduce water extraction from the ground. It is expected that treated wastewater will reach 20 million cubic meters (MCM) per year after the completion of the new sewage system for Lefkosa. Today, 20,000 m3 of wastewater is treated at the Lefkosa Central Treatment Plant up to the secondary treatment level, in which the degree of treatment varies from 60% to 95% owing to the weather conditions in the country during the year. Effluent water reuse in NC was not accepted due to cultural belief. However, water scarcity was experienced in the country during the last decade, forcing the farmers to benefit from the recycled water. There is no regulatory framework available in the country for effluent water reuse. However, preparation studies are almost finalized after discussions among government and European Union (EU) agencies. Cyprus, as an EU country, has an obligation to treat the wastewater up to the secondary level before releasing it in an environmentally friendly nature, following the Directive 91/271/EEC. This paper analyzes the effluent water reuse possibilities as a component of integrated water resource management in Northern Cyprus considering laboratory experiment results. It appears that applying tertiary treatment in Northern Cyprus will allow 20 MCM of water contribution to the water budget and it will help protect the vulnerable environment. Also, since the cost of tertiary treatment will be 0.2 United States dollars (USD)/m3, it would be reasonable to prefer this process to the desalination of water, which costs of 1 USD/m3.

Genetics of Gilles De La Tourette Syndrome: Accelerating Discoveries Through Large-Scale Collaborative Efforts

Overall Abstract Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a common, albeit still under-diagnosed, neuropsychiatric disorder that is caused by a complex genetic basis, interacting with environmental factors. This symposium will showcase exciting findings from all current large-scale collaborative efforts aiming to elucidate the genetic background of TS, through diverse approaches and studies of several thousands of individuals with TS; genome-wide association studies (GWAS) aiming to identify common variants associated to the disorder, whole-exome sequencing approaches seeking rare variants, gene-expression studies aiming to identify the relative contribution of genetics versus environmental factors, and sophisticated approaches aiming to dissect complex and comorbid phenotypes. We will present novel TS susceptibility genes implicated on a genome-wide significance level either by GWAS, large-scale CNV scans or whole-exome sequencing and introduce heritable TS sub-phenotypes. We will also present large-scale GWAS meta-analysis of TS together with other, often comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism. Finally, after more than two decades of active research aiming to identify the genetic background of TS etiology, we are on the verge of a new era, yielding exciting and rapid discoveries in the field of TS genetics. Investigators from around the world, representing multiple disciplines and scientific approaches, are joining their efforts in large-scale initiatives supported both by the European Union and US National funding agencies. Propelled by the gradual availability of large scale TS cohorts, novel methodologies for the study of both common and rare genetic variants, and importantly, sheer enthusiasm by multiple researchers working together across different countries, the new era of TS genetics holds the promise to identify novel targets for improved therapies.

Brexit, Babylon and Prophecy: Semiotics of the End Times

This article examines the predilection some Christian premillennialist preachers and teachers have with the semiotic association of geopolitics and biblical prophecy concerning the end times. This was epitomised in the run up to the United Kingdom’s referendum on continued membership of the European Union in June 2016. Since its inception, many premillennialists have interpreted the European Union as the place where the Antichrist emerges. Material objects associated with the European Union such as architecture, sculptures, currency and even posters, have been routinely highlighted as providing clear signs of the coming eschaton. Prophetic links between the European Union and satanic agencies, purported to be behind the ambition for an expanding European confederacy, ensured that many premillennialists voted to leave the European Union or were advised to do so in light of such prophetic signifiers. Utilising Webb Keane’s notion of representational economies, I argue that a premillennialist representational economy drives the search for signs in the everyday, and specifically those associated with the European Union. In this case, such semiotic promiscuity ratified the need to leave the European Union.

Communicating European Archives: Challenges, Strategies and Tools

This article outlines the insights gained during the establishment of a communications strategy for the Historical Archives of the European Union (HAEU) in Florence. The article reflects on how key messages of a unique transnational European archives are construed from its mission, legal framework and in close collaboration with EU institutional archives services. It also sheds light on how to identify a specific European target audience for the Archives and other key elements of a communications strategy for a European archives.The HAEU is the official home for the historical documents of the European Union Institutions, Bodies and Agencies. It is part of the European University Institute, a unique academic hub for doctoral and post-doctoral European studies. It houses, at Villa Salviati in Florence, seven kilometres of paper and digital archives as well as rich audio-visual and oral history collections documenting the historical process of European integration and cooperation. The EU-institutional archives are made accessible to the public after 30 years.The HAEU also hosts 160 deposits of private papers from eminent European political leaders, EU officials and pioneers in the European integration process, and a unique collection of archives of pro-Eu-ropean movements and non-EU organisations with a European scope, such as the European Space Agen-cy and the European Free Trade Association.

Re-registration Challenges of Glyphosate in the European Union

One of the most controversial societal issues today, regarding pesticide registration in the European Union (EU) may be the case surrounding re-registration of the active herbicide ingredient glyphosate. Shortly before the announcement of the conflicting views regarding the carcinogenicity status of this regulated agrochemical by EU Agencies, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) on the one hand, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) on the other hand, the Cancer Assessment Review Committee of the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) also published re-evaluations. The US EPA assessment classified glyphosate into Group E, “not likely to be carcinogenic to humans”. Similar positions were reached by EFSA and ECHA, assessing glyphosate as “unlikely to pose a carcinogenic hazard to humans” and “not classified as a carcinogen”, respectively. A strongly opposing evaluation has previously been reached by IARC by classifying glyphosate into Group 2A, “probably carcinogenic to humans”. IARC identified potential cancer hazards in this case, but did not estimate the level of risk it may present, which was taken into consideration by opposing agencies. Multiple effects of glyphosate have been reported, of which carcinogenic effects are only one component. Formulated glyphosate products – especially with polyethoxylated tallowamine and related compounds – have been shown to cause stronger cytotoxic or endocrine disrupting effects than the active ingredient glyphosate alone. Questions related to hazards and corresponding risks identified in relation to this active ingredient and its formulated herbicide preparations divide scientific circles and official health and environmental authorities and organizations, and touch upon fundamental aspects of risk assessment and product regulation. The decision has to consider both hazard-based (IARC) and risk-based analysis (EFSA); the former may not be suitable to calculate practical significances, and the latter being challenged if exposure estimations are uncertain in light of new data on residue levels. The results of current analytical surveys on surface water are particularly worrisome. In turn, the precautionary principle appears to be the optimal approach in this case for regulation in the EU.

Linking EU and National Agencification Processes: A Growing Need to Overcome Inconsistencies

The agencification process in Europe presents two dimensions: the European Union (EU) and Member State levels. For the last three decades, the EU has relied on agencies to exercise its own competences—EU agencies. At the same time, the EU has bolstered agencies as a form of government and administration at the national level—national regulators shaped by EU law. The paper aims to analyse the legal thought underlying the agencification process both at the EU and national levels. It draws attention to discrepancies between agencies, as well as divergences in legal thought, which surface at both levels. These differences are especially relevant considering that the EU has been an agent of change, introducing agencies at the core of national institutional frameworks through EU secondary legislation. The lack of communication between the two levels in the agencification process may jeopardise the proper implementation of agencies, especially at the national sphere. The paper explores the communication mechanisms between the two levels in the agencification process. I study the possibilities of the institutional autonomy principle and, particularly, the constitutional identity clause (article 4.2 TEU). The latter has an unexplored potential to redirect the debate and to introduce national interests into the EU debate on agencies. Both levels in the agencification process in Europe should focus on sharing concerns and experiences to improve the role, powers and control of agencies, both at the EU and national levels.

Good practices and challenges in addressing poliomyelitis and measles in the European Union.

BackgroundAll European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) Member States have pledged to ensure political commitment towards sustaining the region’s poliomyelitis-free status and eliminating measles. However, there remain significant gaps between policy and practice in many countries. This article reports on an assessment conducted for the European Commission that aimed to support improvements in preparedness and response to poliomyelitis and measles in Europe.MethodsA documentary review was complemented by qualitative interviews with professionals working in International and EU agencies, and in at-risk or recently affected EU/EEA Member States (six each for poliomyelitis and measles). Twenty-six interviews were conducted on poliomyelitis and 24 on measles; the data were subjected to thematic analysis. Preliminary findings were then discussed at a Consensus Workshop with 22 of the interviewees and eight other experts.ResultsGeneric or disease-specific plans exist in the participating countries and cross-border communications during outbreaks were generally reported as satisfactory. However, surveillance systems are of uneven quality, and clinical expertise for the two diseases is limited by a lack of experience. Serious breaches of protocol have recently been reported from companies producing poliomyelitis vaccines, and vaccine coverage rates for both diseases were also sub-optimal. A set of suggested good practices to address these and other challenges is presented.ConclusionsPoliomyelitis and measles should be brought fully onto the policy agendas of all EU/EEA Member States, and adequate resources provided to address them. Each country must abide by the relevant commitments that they have already made.

The International Public Procurement Evolution: New Strategic Challenges Met in Collaboration with Internal Audit Advisory Services

Abstract This study identifies and evaluates some of the major procurement issues met currently by international organizations both in private and public sectors. It deals with strategic procurement decision-making like outsourcing and market globalization, concessions set up, business continuity and contracting typology transformations. Such dynamic changes are deployed in a context of increased concern about the application of liberal procurement principles, which drive towards a series of improvements at the procedures and documentation level. The authors relate this evolution with the Internal Audit consulting perspective, which is still a recent endeavor, but in progress and dynamically expanding. European Union and related Agencies and Institutions are usually spearheading towards this direction offering lessons learned for further consideration.

Political and stakeholder’s ties in European Union agencies

ABSTRACTSome scholars consider that European Union agencies (EAs) were created as independent bodies in order to enhance the credibility of the European Union decision-making process. Scholars have typically focused on analysing the relationship that these agencies have with politicians. However, relatively little attention has been paid to their relationship with stakeholders. This study examines the professional trajectory of EA board members, identifying their career ties with politicians and stakeholders. Using an original dataset on the career trajectories of 338 top officials in 33 EAs, the findings provide evidence that the type of appointing body matters: on the one hand, the European Parliament is more likely – than the Commission – to appoint individuals having career ties to politicians; on the other hand, multiple veto players are less likely to designate board members linked to political players. Additionally, the findings suggest that agencies performing regulatory tasks seem to be more inclined to have lower levels of de facto independence from politicians.