EU Agencies in - and - the External Relations of the EU

Despite concerted efforts in recent years to define the position of agencies in the Union framework, a clear overall view of their role and powers in relation to the EU institutions and to the Member States is still lacking. Their hybrid character as part of the composite EU executive, and the fact that increasing powers are delegated to them, makes an understanding of the efficacy and accountability of agencies ever more important. Benefitting from both academic and practitioner insights from law, political and social sciences, this important book offers an in-depth analysis of the current challenges surrounding European agencies in terms of their design, autonomy, supervisory competence, and legal nature. Among the topics covered are the following: ; realities of the accountability mechanisms currently in place; impact of agency acts on the EU’s institutional balance of powers; agencies as global actors acting on behalf of Member States and EU external relations; agencies derived from former networks of national regulators; non-hierarchical ‘par’ nature of agencies vis-à-vis corresponding national authorities; agencies as crucial amalgams between EU institutions and Member States; effect of the Meroni doctrine; new financial supervisory agencies resulting from recent economic and financial crises; special role of telecommunications agencies; and intricacies of the relationship between agencies and the European Parliament. Because EU agencies are designed to facilitate the implementation of EU law at the national level, powers are increasingly conferred on them in order to ensure that rules are enforced effectively and uniformly. The time has come, however, to confront the many questions of legality and constitutionality that remain. This book responds to the vital as to the role and powers of agencies in relation to their manifold ‘principals’, the EU institutions and the Member States, and lays a firm foundation for managing the challenges ahead.

List of Editors and Contributors. List of Abbreviations. Acknowledgements. PART I Introduction. CHAPTER 1 European Agencies in between Institutions and Member States Michelle Everson, Cosimo Monda & Ellen Vos. PART II European Agencies and the EU’s Institutional Balance of Powers. CHAPTER 2 European Agencies and the Composite EU Executive Ellen Vos. CHAPTER 3 European Agencies: Barely Legal? Michelle Everson. PART III European Agencies: New, Old Roles and New Generations. CHAPTER 4 EU Agencies as a Solution to Pan-European Implementation Problems Michael Kaeding & Esther Versluis. CHAPTER 5 European Agencies on the Global Scene: EU and International Law Perspectives Andrea Ott, Ellen Vos & Florin Coman-Kund. CHAPTER 6 The New European Supervisor Architecture of the Financial Markets Annetje Ottow. CHAPTER 7 Towards a New Agency Model? The Example of Telecommunications Marco Zinzani. PART IV Accountability and Democratic Control of European Agencies. CHAPTER 8 The Theory and Practice of EU Agency Autonomy and Accountability: Early Day Expectations, Today’s Realities and Future Perspectives Madalina Busuioc & Martijn Groenleer. CHAPTER 9 EU Agencies and the European Parliament Francis Jacobs. PART V Conclusion. CHAPTER 10 What Is the Future of European Agencies? Michelle Everson, Cosimo Monda & Ellen Vos. ANNEX I Overview of European Agencies. ANNEX II Joint Statement and Common Approach of the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission on Decentralized Agencies of 19 July 2012.