European Administrative Networks in-between audiences: accountability dilemmas in multi-level EU governance

At the same time that differentiation has provided the European Union (EU) with tools to manage increasing diversity, it has posed significant challenges to the achievement of collective EU goals and an even level playing field across member states. In this context, European Administrative Networks (EANs) have been presented as promising solutions to overcome differentiated implementation of EU policy through exchange of knowledge and pooling of resources. However, even though EANs have expanded and acquired more competences over time and across policy areas, they come with considerable accountability problems. Despite previous literature identifying the main shortcomings of EANs in terms of accountability - namely, their insulated work mode, membership, informal and opaque nature -, we do not know how wide-spread these accountability issues actually are and whether they have any ramifications to the functioning EANs. This paper addresses this gap through a systematic mapping of EANs on the basis of their formal structure, accessibility and transparency across selected policy areas. This paper furthermore contributes to examining the multi-level dimension of accountability in EANs through the empirical analysis of the the European Network of Heads of Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA Network). Based on an unique survey dataset and social network analysis, the internal and external relationships of the network members are traced and discussed in light of their nature as horizontal collaboration or hierarchical control.