Successful 57th Leiden London meeting on legal issues of agencies in the EU legal order
On Saturday 30 June 2018, the Europa Institute hosted the 57th Leiden-London Meeting, with the overall title: “Agencies, Accountability and Association: Legal issues of agencies in the EU legal order and in relations with neighbouring States”.
During the morning session, the legal issues of discretion and accountability concerning agencies within the EU were discussed, followed by two case studies on financial regulation and data protection. First, Joana Mendes (University of Luxembourg) discussed the discretion of EU agencies beyond the veil of the Meroni case. She analysed the discretionary powers of EU agencies, the imprint of the Meroni legacy, and administrative review as a mechanism to structure agencies’ discretion. Ellen Vos (University of Maastricht) then spoke on “EU agencies as in-betweeners: what about accountability?”. She discussed the relations between agencies and Member States as regards accountability, and considered EU agencies as in-between EU institutions and Member States. Subsequently, a case study on shadow rulemaking by the European Supervisory Authorities was discussed by Heikki Marjosola (London School of Economics), and a case study on the European Data Protection Board was examined by Cristina Blasi Casagran (Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona). The afternoon session focussed on external questions concerning agencies. During this session, Merijn Chamon (University of Ghent) addressed issues such as agreements with third country authorities, the role for EU agencies in regulatory cooperation under external agreements and the limits to their external action under the title “External relations of EU agencies”.
Thereafter, Tarjei Bekkedal (University of Oslo) provided an insight into modalities for and accountability of third country participation in EU agencies. At the end of the day, Sir David Edward gave a brief update on Brexit, in which he called to remain optimistic. Many of the 60 participants at this international conference joined in the highly informed and lively debate.
The event was organized by Alison McDonnell, with the help of Pauline Vincenten.
Thanks also go to Marise Cremona, Armin Cuyvers, Francis Jacobs, Alison McDonnell and Jorrit Rijpma for chairing sessions.
Professor Margot Horspool and Justine Stefanelli, from the British Institute for International and Comparative Law, invited all those present to the 58th London-Leiden meeting to be held in 2019 in London.