Home -> Law Blog Directory -> International Law Blogs -> EU Law Blog

International Law

: EU Law Blog

Review of Regulatory Agencies

By Bartolus

Those interested in administrative law would do well to look at the Commission's review of regulatory agencies entitled "European Agencies - The Way Forward" (COM(2008) 135 final). That document is accompanied by another one, referenced SEC(2008) 323, but the Commission true to its secretive form has not made that document public!

The purpose of the document which is in fact a Communication to the European Parliament and the Court is to review the current agencies, how they are structured and how they work. It seeks to lay the ground work for a common framework for regulatory agencies but the Commission announces that it will withdraw its proposal for an interinstitutional agreement on the operating framework for regulatory agencies (COM (2005) 59).

It concentrates on regulatory agencies of which there are now 29. A regulatory agency is a body governed by EU law, distinct from the EU Institutions (Council, Parliament, Commission, etc.) with its own legal personality. It is set up by a directive or regulation in order to accomplish a very specific technical, scientific or managerial task. For a list of them, see here. The three CFSP agencies are listedhere. The Police and Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters agencies are listed here.

According to the Communication, regulatory agencies employ an incredible 3800 staff.

Executive agencies, on the other hand, are not covered by this Communication. They areorganizations entrusted with certain tasks relating to the management of one or more Community programs, are set up for a fixed period and must located in Brussels or Luxembourg. They are established in accordance with Council Regulation 58/2003. For a list, see here.

Full post as published by EU Law Blog on April 06, 2008 (boomark / email).