The Influence of EU Agencies: Real but guided influence in the policy-making process

This PhD research investigates de facto influence of EU agencies on the development of EU policies. Based on a case-study approach and expert interviews, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control as well as the European Chemicals Agency are analyzed. The main findings are that EU agencies, albeit to varying degrees, do influence the content of policy proposals developed by the European Commission. However, the Commission does fully exercise its formal power to decide on the content of proposals. Only under willing guidance by the Commission, do EU agencies increase influence. While European governance inevitably involves technocratic characteristics, it should not be directly interpreted as a deficit of democracy or legitimacy in the EU.