Bridging two Speres

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2023-07-13

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en

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Agencies are an integral part to the EU, and Frontex as its external border protection service is no different. The migration crisis 2015 has led to this agency in particular to be in the focus of both the EU’s institutions and its member states. With an ever increasing independence being granted to agencies in general, the question that is dealt with in this research concerns the position Frontex holds between the institutions and the member states. The answer to this will provide insights into the so-called core state power dynamics that cause tensions between these two instances. Frontex is caught in between them, and yet has to ensure that responding to either side’s demands does not result in a loss of its own reputation. To therefore arrive at a conclusion about the core state power dynamics in the EU’s migration & asylum policy, this research takes a look at how Frontex manages its reputation vis-à-vis the EU institutions and member states. The analysis is conducted by using Frontex as a most likely case. This is to show whether the demands that are made to Frontex, and how it subsequently manages its reputation when implementing said demands, can provide a satisfactory conclusion about core state power dynamics within the EU. The results show that, while it was assumed to be likely that Frontex tends to be the agent of the member states, this agency is very much prone to assessing each situation separately and weighing benefits before taking a stance. Even though core state powers are the inherent domain of the member states, and they can make significant demands to Frontex that require adherence, a strategic adjustment to the institution’s demands also takes place.

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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen