Agencies of the European Union


An agency of the European Union is a decentralised body of the European Union, which is distinct from the institutions. Agencies are established to accomplish specific tasks. Each agency has its own legal personality. Some answer the need to develop scientific or technical know-how in certain fields, others bring together different interest groups to facilitate dialogue at European and international level.
There are more than forty agencies, divided into four groups:

Current agencies

Decentralised agencies

Distinct from the EU institutions, the agencies of the European Union are specialist bodies set up to advise the Institutions and Member States in areas that affect everyone living in the Union. They are located in member states across the EU, from Dublin to Helsinki, Tallinn to Lisbon providing services, information, and know-how. The total budget of all the decentralised agencies is approximately 0.8% of the EU's annual budget.
Official nameAbbreviationLocationMember stateMembers and observers
European Agency for Safety and Health at WorkEU-OSHABilbao1994members: EU states, European Commission
European Centre for the Development of Vocational TrainingCedefopThessaloniki1975members: EU states
observers: Iceland, Norway
European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working ConditionsEUROFOUNDDublin1975members: EU states, European Commission
observers:EFTA
European Environment AgencyEEACopenhagen1994members: EU states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey
co-operating: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia
European Institute of Innovation and TechnologyEITBudapest2010members: EU states
European Training FoundationETFTurin1994members: EU states, European Commission
European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug AddictionEMCDDALisbon1993members: EU states, European Commission, European Parliament, Norway
observers: Turkey
European Medicines AgencyEMAAmsterdam
London
1995members: EU states, European Commission, European Parliament
observers: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway
European Union Intellectual Property OfficeEUIPOAlicante1999members: EU states, European Commission
Community Plant Variety OfficeCPVOAngers1994members: EU states, European Commission
Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European UnionCdTLuxembourg City1994members: EU states, European Commission
European Food Safety AuthorityEFSAParma2002members: EU states
observers European Commission, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland
European Maritime Safety AgencyEMSALisbon2002members: EU states, European Commission, Iceland, Norway
European Aviation Safety AgencyEASACologne2003members: EU states, European Commission, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland
observers: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, UNMIK
European Network and Information Security AgencyENISAHeraklion2005members: EU states
European Centre for Disease Prevention and ControlECDCStockholm2005members: EU states, European Commission, European Parliament
observers: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway
European GNSS AgencyGSAPrague2004members: EU states, European Commission
observers: Norway, European Space Agency
European Railway AgencyERAValenciennes and Lille2004members: EU states, European Commission, Norway
European Fisheries Control AgencyEFCAVigo2005members: EU states, European Commission
European Chemicals AgencyECHAHelsinki2007members: EU states, European Commission, European Parliament
observers: Iceland, Norway
European Institute for Gender EqualityEIGEVilnius2007members: EU states
European Defence AgencyEDABrussels2004members: EU states without Denmark; European Commission
participant: Norway
European Institute for Security StudiesEUISSParis2001
European Union Satellite CentreSatCenTorrejón de Ardoz2002
The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement TrainingCEPOLBudapest
Bramshill
2005members: EU states without Denmark
associates: Iceland, Norway, Switzerland
European Union Agency for Law Enforcement CooperationEuropolThe Hague1999members: EU states
European body for the enhancement of judicial co-operationEurojustThe Hague2002members: EU states
Fundamental Rights AgencyFRAVienna2007members: EU states, European Commission, Council of Europe
Body of European Regulators of Electronic CommunicationsBERECRiga2010members: EU states, European Commission
European Systemic Risk BoardESRBFrankfurt2010
Agency for the Cooperation of Energy RegulatorsACERLjubljana2011
European Banking AuthorityEBAParis
London
2011
European Securities and Markets AuthorityESMAParis2011
European Insurance and Occupational Pensions AuthorityEIOPAFrankfurt2011
European Asylum Support OfficeEASOValletta2011
European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT Systems in the area of freedom, security and justiceeu-LISATallinn2012
European Border and Coast Guard AgencyFrontexWarsaw2016members: EU states, except Ireland, Schengen Area states not members of the EU
European Labour AuthorityELABratislava2019members: EU states, European Commission, European Parliament

Executive agencies

Executive agencies are created by European Commission for a fixed period.
Official nameAbbreviationLocation
Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized EnterprisesEASMEBrussels
Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive AgencyEACEABrussels
Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive AgencyChafeaLuxembourg City
Innovation and Networks Executive AgencyINEABrussels
Research Executive AgencyREABrussels
European Research Council Executive AgencyERCBrussels

Euratom agencies

Independent bodies

Proposed agencies

Former agencies