The Evolution of a European agency
How does an agency balance between being a professional information provider as well as an institutional watchdog? A study of the European Environment Agency shows that it has gradually developed its own mission, role and identity beyond the original legal framework. Through trust building and learning it has proved an important role in the Commission's work on environment.
(Photo: The European Union)
In her article in the latest Journal for Common Market Studies, Maria Martens examines the evolution of the European Environment Agency (EEA) from its inception in 1991, and analyses its gradual transformation from a legal to a living institution in the EU system. Over the years the agency has become a more loyal partner to the Commission in the European administrative system, balancing the ability to have a credible voice on the one hand and the need for stability and a secure resource supply on the other.
The article seeks to contribute to the debate on the role and autonomy of European agencies. She argues that in order to capture a fuller picture of their functioning, we need to go beyond a legal framework, taking into account institutional features that involve both formal and informal processes.
See the full article "Voice or Loyalty? The Evolution of the European Environment Agency (EEA)" in Journal for Common Market Studies (Vol. 48 No. 4, pp. 881–901)