Strasbourg, 11/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 11 March, the European Commission adopted a communication on the role and governance of European agencies (regulatory and executive agencies).
In 2005, the Commission proposed an inter-institutional agreement for a framework on European regulatory agencies and how they are set up, how they work and how they are managed. Despite support from the European Parliament, negotiations on this draft agreement stalled in the Council. The Commission intends to withdraw its proposal and to replace it by an invitation to an inter-institutional discussion which should lead to a common approach. An inter-institutional working group would allow the key issues facing agencies to be set out as ground rules to apply to all. The Commission is proposing to undertake a horizontal evaluation of regulatory agencies, which will be presented by the end of 2009. The same institution also believes that new regulatory agencies should not be created until the work of the evaluation is complete. The Commission is furthermore proposing a review of its own internal systems governing its relations with agencies, as well as the methodology for conducting impact assessment of agencies.
There are now 29 regulatory agencies (and proposals for setting up two new ones). They are independent bodies, with their own legal personality. They employ 3800 officials and cost the EU budget €559 million a year. There are no general provisions on how they are set up or on how they function. Executive agencies, on the contrary, are set up through a Council regulation adopted in 2002. Their role is defined much more accurately and seeks to make a contribution to how Community programmes are managed. They come under full European Commission jurisdiction. (L.C.)