Regulatory Governance in the European Union : The Political Struggle Over Committees, Agencies and Networks

This chapter focuses on the institutions of regulatory governance in the European Union (EU). It shows that regulation in the EU is a complex political process in which multiple actors interact across different levels of governance. Over the years such interaction has led to the build-up of regulatory capacity via committees, agencies and networks, and to the institutionalization of the EU’s regulatory space. The chapter also demonstrates that European regulatory governance is the product of strategic interaction, actors expecting that they can somehow benefit from further developing the EU’s regulatory capacity. Thus, the gradual development from committees and networks to EU agencies does not necessarily signify increased centralization of EU regulation. Committees, agencies and networks exist alongside traditional governmental organizations and established EU institutions, resulting in a multi-layered system of governance. However, the growth of regulatory capacity, especially the shift towards EU agencies, is not merely quantitative. It alters EU governance and testifies to the institutional changes to which the Union continues to be subject