Participation in European agencies: Keeping promises in institutional practice

Although both European agencies and participation in European governance are topics very much discussed in the academic literature, they have, thus far, never been systematically researched together. The aim of this research is to remedy this gap and provide a thorough analytical assessment of the extent and the manner to which European agencies have been successful in living up to the central promises of participation.
In this book, the pertinence of involving interested parties, and the reason why some agencies are particularly keen on developing participatory structures even in the absence of legal provisions rests on the idea that participation may fulfill one or more of the following central promises: (i) ensure better and more informed agencies’ outcomes, (ii) promote inclusiveness and responsiveness of agencies’ operation, (iii) advance compliance and implementation, and (iv) enhance transparency and monitoring of agencies’ activities and help build trust. In line with these promises, the extent and impact of participation can be crucial to agencies’ ability to perform efficiently, as well as to their credibility. But does participation in European agencies deliver on its promises and hence contribute to effective policy-making and agency credibility or is it merely an exercise in window-dressing and an end in itself? The promises of participation are thus an evaluative yardstick against which participation in European agencies is assessed both empirically and normatively.