Decentralised agencies

There are more than 30 agencies in different EU countries. They have an important role in implementing EU policies, especially tasks of a technical, scientific, operational and/or regulatory nature. This frees up the EU institutions, especially the Commission, to concentrate on policy-making.

They also support cooperation between the EU and national governments in important policy areas, by pooling technical and specialist expertise from both the EU institutions and national authorities.

The decentralised agencies are independent legal entities under European public law, distinct from the EU institutions (Council, Parliament, Commission, etc.).

Decentralised agencies

• Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER)
• Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC)
• Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO)
• European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)
• European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders (FRONTEX)
• European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice (IT Agency)
• European Asylum Support Office (at planning stage) (EASO)
• European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
• European Banking Authority (EBA)
• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
• European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop)
• European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
• European Environment Agency (EEA)
• European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA)
• European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
• European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (EUROFOUND)
• European GNSS Agency (GSA)
• European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)
• European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA)
• European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA)
• European Medicines Agency (EMA)
• European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)
• European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA)
• European Police College (CEPOL)
• European Police Office (EUROPOL)
• European Railway Agency – promoting safe and compatible rail systems (ERA)
• European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA)
• European Training Foundation (ETF)
• European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)
• Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM)
• The European Union’s Judicial Cooperation Unit (EUROJUST)
• Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union (CdT)

Agencies under Common Security and Defence Policy

• European Defence Agency (EDA)
• European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS)
• European Union Satellite Centre (EUSC)

2012 overhaul

Because the agencies were set up on a case-by-case basis over the years, to respond to emerging individual policy needs, they have been operating in quite diverse conditions. In 2012 the EU rectified this by adopting a comprehensive set of guiding principles – a "common approach" – to make the agencies more coherent, effective and accountable.

This new framework was the result of analysis by an EU working group of the agencies' governance, functioning and oversight, based on a number of reports and studies, including a comprehensive external evaluation.

Background documents

• Roadmap on the follow-up to the Common Approach on EU decentralised agencies (19 December 2012) [60 KB]
• Joint Statement and Common Approach (Parliament, Council & Commission, 2012) [2 MB]
• Press release – overhaul of EU agencies (2012)
• External evaluation of EU agencies (2009)
  • Synthesis and prospects [994 KB]
  • Conclusions at system level [2 MB]
  • Agency level findings [2 MB]
  • Evaluation method [566 KB]
• Detailed analytical papers (2010)
  • Definition and classification of "Agency" [33 KB]
  • Creation of agencies [40 KB]
  • Agencies' seat & role of host country [26 KB]
  • Ending of agencies [18 KB]
  • Management Board – composition & designation [62 KB]
  • Management Board – role and functioning [48 KB]
  • Director – appointment & dismissal [57 KB]
  • Director – tasks, duties & responsibilities [48 KB]
  • Scientific committees [32 KB]
  • Boards of appeal [28 KB]
  • Agencies' internal bodies coordinating relations with national authorities [27 KB]
  • Agencies' administrative autonomy [24 KB]
  • Annual work programme [23 KB]
  • Multiannual programming [22 KB]
  • Human resources policy [31 KB]
  • Common administrative support for agencies [41 KB]
  • Exchange of classified EU information [25 KB]
  • International issues [26 KB]
  • Communication strategy [29 KB]
  • Funding & budget revenues of agencies [39 KB]
  • Activity-based budgeting [25 KB]
  • Budgetary procedure – Role of the 3 Institutions [31 KB]
  • Staff policy plan [32 KB]
  • Implementation of the Financial Regulation by agencies [24 KB]
  • Reporting requirements & processes [24 KB]
  • Internal audit [36 KB]
  • External audit [23 KB]
  • Discharge [35 KB]
  • Evaluation of agencies [38 KB]
  • Transparency/Relations with stakeholders [29 KB]
  • Commission role [39 KB]
  • European Parliament role [76 KB]
  • Council role [34 KB]
• Commission policy paper – European agencies: the way forward (2008)