The accountability of European agencies: legal provisions and ongoing practices

Abstract

The book ''The Accountability of European Agencies: Legal Provisions and Ongoing Practices '' addresses one of the most relevant yet under- researched topic in current European governance: the accountability of European agencies. European agencies have been created at a rapid pace in recent years, in a multitude of highly pertinent and sensitive fields ranging from pharmaceuticals and food safety to chemicals or aviation safety. These bodies, meant to operate at arm’s length from political control, have real power and their opinions and decisions can have a direct impact on individuals, regulators and member states. Are these bodies held to account or are we faced with the threat of powerful and unaccountable institutional actors? This book investigates how the accountability system of European agencies operates at both the formal level as well as in practice. In doing so, it zooms in on five European agencies: EMEA (the European Medicines Agency), EASA (the European Aviation Safety Agency), OHIM (the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market), Europol and Eurojust. The analysis spans four different accountability regimes: managerial, political, financial and (quasi-)legal, thus examining agency accountability vis-୶is multiple forums such as: management boards, the European Parliament, the Council, the European Court of Auditors, the European Court of Justice etc. It follows a multi-disciplinary approach and is at the cutting edge of public administration and law. Through a systematic analysis of both the law and the practice of agency accountability, the book unravels these complex accountability regimes and pinpoints exactly where failures occur. Whereas agencies are subject to extensive accountability arrangements, underuse is prevalent. Accountability forums often fail to exercise in practice, the formal powers at their disposal vis-୶is agencies. Furthermore, accountability arrangements are frequently poorly designed, thus negatively impacting their effectiveness. More generally, the book also offers insights into aspects of agency governance and design as well as important theoretical insights into the conceptualization and the study of accountability.