Frontex. A principal-agent perspective

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Section 1: European Regulatory Agencies
  • Agencification in the European Union
  • Principal-agent theory: Why, What, How
• Section 2: Research questions, methodology, data
  • Research questions
  • Methodology and data
• Section 3: Frontex and the external borders of the European Union
  • Delegation dilemmas: to guard or not to guard?
    • Origins
    • First steps
  • Agency mission, Regulation, composition and tasks
  • Institutional design
    • Management Board
    • Executive Director
    • Staff and structure
    • Resources
  • Activities output and working methods
    • Risk Analysis
    • Operational activities
    • Research, development, training and cooperation with external bodies
    • Joint return operations
  • The Member States, the Commission, the Parliament
  • Criticism
    • Institutional settings
    • Brief assessment of output
• Section 4: Conclusions
  • Frontex: the road ahead

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This dissertation examines the creation and development of FRONTEX, the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union. It seeks to understand the factors leading to its establishment, the roles of various institutions in its creation, and the agency's structure, operations, and impact.

• Delegation of powers to regulatory agencies in the EU
• The principal-agent framework and its application to EU institutions
• The role of FRONTEX in managing external borders and tackling illegal migration
• The agency's institutional design, resources, and working methods
• Criticism and assessment of FRONTEX's performance and future prospects

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introduction: This chapter introduces the topic of FRONTEX and its significance in the context of EU Justice, Freedom, and Security policies. It highlights the agency's wide-ranging mission and the need to analyze its creation and development.
• Section 1: European Regulatory Agencies: This section explores the historical trend of delegating powers to regulatory agencies in the EU. It examines the 'agencification' process and introduces the principal-agent theory as a framework for analyzing non-majoritarian institutions.
• Section 2: Research questions, methodology, data: This chapter outlines the research questions, methodology, and data sources employed in the dissertation.
• Section 3: Frontex and the external borders of the European Union: This section delves into the origins, mission, structure, and operations of FRONTEX. It examines the agency's institutional design, including its management board, executive director, staff, and resources. It also analyzes the agency's activities and working methods, such as risk analysis, operational cooperation, and joint return operations. This chapter also explores the relationship between FRONTEX and its stakeholders, including the Member States, the Commission, and the Parliament, as well as criticisms of the agency's performance.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This dissertation focuses on the key concepts of European regulatory agencies, the principal-agent framework, border management, illegal migration, FRONTEX, institutional design, delegation, and the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ). It examines the creation, structure, operations, and impact of FRONTEX in the context of EU policies on external borders and migration.