The agencies of the EU have been created to collaborate actively in the implementation of EU policies. They are responsible for accomplishing clearly defined specialised tasks such as the promotion of health and safety at work or management of the external borders of the EU.
Despite their diversity, the agencies of the EU have similar structures and working methods.
In general, they are created by means of a regulation which sets their composition. Each agency operates under the authority of a board of directors. Composed of representatives of the Member States and of the European Commission, it defines the general guidelines and lays down the work programmes of the agency.
The executive director, appointed by the board of directors or by the Council of Ministers, is responsible for all of the agency's activities and the proper execution of these work programmes.
The European Court of Auditors audits the agencies' accounts.
The existing agencies are currently being assessed. The aim is to arrive at a common approach as regards: the role and the place of the agencies in the institutional landscape of the EU, the process of their creation and winding up, their financing and their budget management procedures, their operation and the control exerted over their activities.
The agencies of the EU are divided into several categories. Some of them still refer to the three "pillars" set up by the Maastricht Treaty. Given that the Treaty of Lisbon abolished this pillar structure, these categories must in the future be modified with a view to adapting them to this new context. In the meantime, the categories which exist at present are shown below:
Community agencies
A community agency is responsible for fulfilling a very specific technical, scientific or managerial task within the framework of the old first pillar. It has its own legal personality.
Examples: Community Fisheries Control Agency (CFCA), European Railway Agency (ERA)
Common Foreign and Security Policy Agencies
These agencies have been created with a view to fulfilling very specific technical, scientific or managerial tasks within the framework of the European Union's common foreign and security policy (CFSP).
Examples: European Defence Agency (EDA), European Union Institute for Security Studies (ISS)
Police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters agencies
This group of agencies is responsible for facilitating co-operation in criminal matters between the Member States of the EU within the framework of the old "third pillar" of the EU.
Examples: European Police Office (Europol), European Union Judicial Cooperation Unit (Eurojust)
Executive agencies;
The executive agencies perform tasks relating to the management of one or more Community programmes. These agencies are set up for a fixed period.
Examples: Research Executive Agency (REA), 'Education, Audiovisual and Culture' Executive Agency (EACEA)
EURATOM agencies and bodies
These bodies have been created to contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the treaty setting up the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom).
Examples: Fusion for Energy, Euratom Supply Agency
Want to know more about the agencies of the European Union?
Did you know...that the term "agency" does not necessarily appear in the official denomination of all of the European agencies? Some bear the name centre, foundation, institute or office.