The evolution of European Union agencies: from technical bodies to actors of European administrative governance

Introduction. The article is devoted to the evolution of European Union agencies from technical and informational bodies to actors of European administrative governance. The relevance of the topic is determined by the increasing role of EU agencies in the implementation of Union policies, coordination of national administrations, risk assessment, regulatory support and crisis management. Purpose. The purpose of the article is to analyse the main stages in the evolution of European Union agencies and to determine how their transformation from technical bodies into specialized administrative actors has influenced their legal nature and role in EU governance. Methods. The research is based on historical-legal, comparative-legal, systemic and functional methods. The historical-legal method is used to identify the stages of development of EU agencies; the comparative-legal method makes it possible to compare different models of agencies; the systemic method is applied to determine their place in the EU administrative system; and the functional method explains the transformation of their tasks and powers. Results. The article identifies several stages in the evolution of EU agencies. The first stage is connected with the establishment of technical and informational bodies in the 1970s, such as CEDEFOP and Eurofound. The second stage reflects the growing need for administrative coordination in the context of the internal market. The third stage is related to the emergence of sectoral regulatory agencies in the fields of medicines, food safety, aviation and the environment. The fourth stage concerns the development of agencies as coordinators of administrative networks. The fifth stage is linked to the post-Lisbon strengthening of judicial review and legal accountability. The sixth stage reflects the contemporary expansion of operational and crisis- management functions. Conclusion. It is concluded that EU agencies remain derivative bodies established by secondary EU law, but their role is no longer limited to technical assistance. They have become specialized administrative actors participating in the practical implementation of EU policies.