Agencies and Bodies Flashcards
Roles of EU agencies
- Information gathering, standard setting and (increasingly) behaviour modification tasks in policy domains (e.g., food safety, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, financial markets, etc).
- Proposing draft decisions to the Commission
First agencies
In 1960:
- EURATOM supply agency (ESA)
In 1975:
- European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop)
- European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound)
Number of EU agencies (2023)
39 agencies and 9 joint undertakings
Joint undertakings
Joint undertakings (JUs) are public-private partnership bodies that are in charge of the execution of EU research and technological development programmes
To agency or not to agency
The Council and EC choose whether to delegate policy-making tasks to the Commission, agencies or national authorities
Types of agencies
- Decentralised agencies: carry out technical, scientific or managerial tasks that help the EU institutions make and implement policies. They are set up for an indefinite period and are located across the EU.
- Executive agencies help the European Commission manage EU programmes. They are set up for a fixed period and must be based in the same location as the Commission (either Brussels or Luxembourg). (CINEA, ACEA, EISMEA, ERCEA, HaDEA, REA)
- European Atomic Energy Community Treaty (EURATOM) agencies were created to coordinate national nuclear research programmes for peaceful purposes; to provide knowledge, infrastructure and funding for nuclear energy; and to ensure sufficient and secure supplies of nuclear energy.
- European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), an independent EU body which seeks to promote Europe’s ability to develop new technologies, by pooling its best scientific, business and education resources. It is located in Hungary.
- Other bodies: EIT, EPPO, ESA, SRB
Countries with the most and least agencies
FR : 4
CY, HR, BG, RO: none
BEREC
Agency for support for Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications
2009, Riga (Latvia)
for support ? Body of European Regulators of Electronic Communications
ACER
Agency for the cooperation of energy regulators
2009, legal creation
2011, opening of offices in Ljubljana (Slovenia)
ESA (1)
EURATOM supply agency
- to maintain regular and equitable supply of nuclear materials for all users in the European Atomic Energy Community.
1958, Luxembourg
1960, operational
Cedefop
European centre for the development of vocational training (cedefop because of Fr: “formation professionelle”)
1975, Thessaloniki
Eurofound
Europe foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions
1975, Dublin
EEA
European Environmental Agency
1990, Copenhagen
*Date to be confirmed - I’ve read 1994
ETF
European Training Foundation
1994, Turin
EMA
European Medicines Agency
1995
Since 2019 in Amsterdam
1995-2019 in London
EMCDDA
European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and drugs addiction
1993, Lisbon
CdT
Translation Centre for the bodies of the EU
1994, Luxembourg
CPVO
Community Plant Variety Office
1995, Angers (FR)
*Date to be confirmed I read 1994
EUIPO
EU Intellectual Property Office
1994, Alicante
EU-OSHA
European agency for safety and health at work
1994, Bilbao
EASA
EU Aviation Safety Agency
2002, Cologne
*Date to be confirmed, I read 2003
EFSA
European Food Safety Authority
2002, Parma
EMSA
European Maritime Safety Authority
2002, Lisbon
Eurojust
European body for the enhancement of judicial cooperation
EU agency for criminal justice cooperation
2002, The Hague
Period of existence of the executive agencies
1/4/2021 to 31/12/2028: CINEA, REA, EISMEA, EACEA, ERCEA
16/2/2021 to 31/12/2028: HaDEA
Decision (EU) 2021/173
EISMEA
European innovation council and SMEs Executive agency
2003 (IIEA -> EACI -> EASME), Brussels
ECDC
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
2005, Stockholm
ENISA
European Union Agency for Cybersecurity
2004, Athens (offices also in Brussels and Heraklion - EL)
*Date to be confirmed - I read 2005
ERA
European railway agency
2006, Valenciennes
*Date to be confirmed - I read 2004
EUSPA
EU Agency for the Space Programme
2004 (named GSA), Prague
*Date to be confirmed - I read 2021 (Prague)
Frontex
European border and coast guard Agency
2004, Warsaw
*check again - eslewhere also finds info that 2016
CEPOL
EU Agency for Law Enforcement Training
2005
since 2014: Budapets
2005-2014: Bramshill (UK)
EFCA
European Fisheries Control Agency
2005, Vigo
Chafea (dismantled in 2021)
Executive agency on consumers, health, agriculture and food
2005-2021
Its task are taken over by HaDEA, EISMEA, and REA
ECHA
European Chemicals Agency
2007, Helsinki
EIGE
European Institute for gender equality
2010, Vilnius
*to be confirmed, I read 2007
CINEA
European climate, infrastructure and environment executive agency
2006 (TEN-T EA -> INEA), Brussels
EACEA
Education, audiovisual, and cultural executive agency
2006, Brussels
FRA
EU agency for Fundamental Rights
2007, Vienna
REA
Research Executive Agency
2007 (establishment) 2009 (operational), Brussels
EIT
European Institute of Innovation and Technology
2008, Budapest
Mandate revised in 2021
ERCEA
European research council executive agency
2008, Brussels
Europol
EU Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation
1998, The Hague
EUAA
EU Agency for Asylum
2022, Valletta (replacing 2010 EASO, European Asylum Support Office)
*date to be confirmed - I read 2011
EBA
European banking authority
2011, Paris
EIOPA
European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority
2011, Frankfurt am Main
ESMA
European Securities and Markets Authority
2011, Paris
eu-LISA
European agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice
2011 (operational in 2012), Tallin (plus operation site in Strasbourg and back-up office in Sanjay Johann in Pangau -AT)
SRB
Single Resolution Board
2015, Brussels
EPPO
European public prosecutor’s office
2019, Luxembourg
ELA
European Labour Authority
2019, Bratislava (Slovakia)
HaDEA
European health and digital executive agency
2021, Brussels
Agencies with the most staff (2021)
(rounded values)
Frontex: 1554
EUIPO: 1166
Europol: 979
EMA: 878
REA: 866
Overall, agencies’ staff as a percentage of EU staff is 17%
What is EUAN
The EU Agencies Network was set up as an inter-agency cooperation platform and is chaired each year by a different agency.
EDPS
European data protection supervisor (different than, but member of, EDPB, established in 2018)
EU body
2004, Brussels
F4E
Fusion 4 Energy
EURATOM agency
2004, Barcelona
It manages ITER on nuclear fusion, located in France close to Aix-en-Provence
EDA
European Defence Agency
CFSP agency
2004, Brussels
Administrative agreements:
- 2006 Norway
- 2012 Switzerland
- 2013 Serbia
- 2015 Ukraine
EUISS
EU Institute for Security Studies
CFSP agency
2002, Paris (liaison office in Brussels)
*Date to be confirmed, I read 2001
SatCen
EU Satellite Centre
CFSP agency
2002 (replacing the 1993 SatCen of the WEU), Torrejón de Ardoz
Euratom agencies and bodies
Euratom Supply Agency,
Fusion for Energy Joint Undertaking
agencies to support Common foreign and security policy
European Defence Agency (EDA),
European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS),
European Union Satellite Centre (SatCen)
