Accountability in the European Parliament: fact or fairytale? MEPs oversight of EU agencies using parliamentary questions
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2020-07-14
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en
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In recent years, the European Administrative Space has expanded with the creation of new EU agencies. While the European Parliament expanded her oversight powers to hold EU agencies to account, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) do not seem to make much use of them, or only focus on a number of agencies. This causes legitimacy problems, especially for EU agencies that attract little attention by MEPs. This article aims to explain which factors influence MEPs decision to ask EU agencies to render account for their actions, based on vote-seeking and policy-seeking questioning activity. It therefore analyses fifteen cases. Based on in-depth interviews with MEPs, support staff and EU experts, the study suggest that party position and personal motivation are necessary factors, and combined with media coverage and saliency sufficient factors to ask EPQs. Lobbyists further contribute to oversight of EU agencies through EPQs.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen