A venue worth shopping for: On why interest groups are motivated to engage with EU agencies

Abstract

This thesis focusses on the motivation of interest groups to engage with EU agencies. At first glance, interest groups are unlikely to be engaged with EU agencies as these agencies hold limited formal legal power and aim to guard their autonomy. Focusing their efforts elsewhere in the multilevel EU structure may thus yield more for interest groups. Nevertheless, they have been shown to actively engage with EU agencies.

To explain why this happens, this research takes a qualitative, interpretive approach. The data consists of interviews with representatives of interest groups that engage with EFSA. The results show that interest groups are motivated to increase the predictability of EFSA’s regulatory role and of their own engagement with the agency. Furthermore, they aim to enhance the reputation of EFSA and improve its risk assessment capabilities. The interests of members are shown to be a major motivator for interest groups to engage with EFSA. Social pressure from public opinion also motivates the interest groups, but less severely. The capacity of the interest groups, mainly their scientific knowledge, is an important factor that motivates them to be engaged with EFSA. But the receptiveness or the agency is also important in this regard.