EU agencies on the move: challenges ahead
Since the 1990’s, the number of EU agencies has increased steadily and rapidly. While they have been given more discretionary powers, the mechanisms of control and accountability have not kept up with this development.
The rapid growth of the EU administration has not been given as much attention as other aspects of the European integration. Today, there are about 40 EU agencies that form part of the EU executive, and they fulfil a wide range of tasks.
Having examined the development of EU agencies, Ellen Vos, Professor of EU law at Maastricht University, specifically points out three current dilemmas:
- Lack of a clear legal framework with regard to the delegation of powers.
- Inadequate requirements concerning the independence of the agencies.
- Unclear accountability mechanisms.