The European Parliament’s Oversight of the Agencies of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice. Where are we Now and Where are we Heading

  • Lucas J. Ruiz Díaz Universidad de Granada, Spain
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18543/ced.2583
Keywords: European Union, European Parliament, AFSJ, border management, migration policy

Abstract

Despite becoming a legislative actor comparable to the Council after the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, the European Parliament (EP) still lacks the power to effectively scrutinize the implementation of the European Union (EU) law and policies by the agencies of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ). The case of Frontex has demonstrated the extent to which the successful protection of human rights is at stake when it comes to the activities at the external borders to halt irregular migration flows and other illegal cross-border activities. Abuses in this regard have been highlighted by several International Organizations and non-Governmental Organizations, forcing the EU Institutions to act accordingly. This paper analyzes the current state of affairs of the EP’s powers to scrutiny AFSJ agencies after the progressive enhancement of their mandates in the last decade, and suggests several recommendations to enhance the accountability of these agencies to fully respect the principles of the rule of Law and the values on which the EU is based.

Received: 31 July 2022
Acepted: 28 September 2022

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Author Biography

Lucas J. Ruiz Díaz, Universidad de Granada, Spain

PhD in International Relations from the University of Granada (2015), from where he holds a Graduate in Political Science (2004) and a Master’s degree in European Constitutional Law (2008). He also holds a Diplôme d’Études Spécialisées in European Politics from the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB, 2005) and a Graduate in Law from the National University of Distance Education (UNED, 2020). He has accompanied his academic background and research experience on account of the several internships in International Organizations that he has conducted, such as the Council of Europe (2008), the United Nations (2009) and the European Union (Eurojust, 2010; European Parliament, 2013). He is specialist in European politics, policies and Law, in particular relating to the external dimension of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice and the Common Security and Defence Policy of the EU. He is currently a Lecturer at the University of Granada.

Published
2022-12-13
How to Cite
Ruiz Díaz, Lucas J. 2022. “The European Parliament’s Oversight of the Agencies of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice. Where Are We Now and Where Are We Heading”. Deusto Journal of European Studies, no. 06 (December), 29-60. https://doi.org/10.18543/ced.2583.
Issue
No. 06 (2022): SPECIAL ISSUE. The EU Migration, Border Management and Asylum Reform in the Aftermath of the «Refugee Crisis»: Towards an Effective Enforcement
Section
Articles

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