Joint Bodies in Bilateral Agreements (JBinBA)

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The project Joint Bodies in Bilateral Agreements (JBinBA) puts a spotlight on joint bodies (JBs), which refers to common institutions set up between the European Union (EU) and third countries through their bilateral agreements. They bring together representatives from the EU (Commission and/or Council) and the third country to oversee implementation. Beyond the ability to discuss common problems and issue recommendations, they are sometimes even empowered to amend the agreement or adopt binding decisions, which raises concerns about their democratic legitimacy. Although the number of JBs run into the hundreds and their decision-making powers attract increasing attention, our knowledge about them is limited. This project helps to significantly narrow this discrepancy. JBinBA is empirically innovative, theoretically informed, and methodologically rigorous and produces findings relevant for scholars, policy makers, and citizens. More information can be found on the  personal homepage of Dr. Markus Gastinger.