The EU’s executive agencies

KEY POINTS

The European Commission has delegated responsibility for a limited period of time for the implementation of some EU programmes to third-party bodies known as ‘executive agencies’, which are legal entities. There are six executive agencies:

• European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency;
• European Education and Culture Executive Agency;
• European Health and Digital Executive Agency;
• European Innovation Council and Small and Medium-sized Executive Agency;
• European Research Council Executive Agency;
• European Research Executive Agency.

These agencies manage some of the non-discretionary functions that fall within the direct administrative responsibility of the Commission, in order to enable the Commission to concentrate on its ‘core tasks’.

The Commission decides whether to establish an executive agency, extend its period of operation or wind it up on the basis of a cost–benefit analysis.

Tasks

Executive agencies may be responsible for:

• managing all the phases of projects;
• adopting budget implementation measures and awarding contracts and grants;
• gathering, analysing and passing on to the Commission all the information needed to implement the programmes.

The Commission cannot entrust an executive agency with tasks requiring discretionary powers in translating political choices into action.

Structure

Executive agencies are managed by a steering committee and a director.

• The steering committee consists of five members appointed by the Commission for 2 years (renewable). It draws up the annual work programme, adopts the operating budget and the annual activity report and implements measures to combat fraud and irregularities.
• The director is appointed by the Commission for 4 years (renewable) and is an EU civil servant.
• The staff consists of temporarily reassigned EU civil servants and contract staff recruited by the agency.

Supervision

Executive agencies are supervised by:

• the Commission, in particular its internal auditor;
• the European Court of Auditors;
• the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).

An external evaluation report is drawn up by the Commission every 3 years and submitted to each executive agency’s steering committee, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the Court of Auditors.