There are currently 48 EU agencies, located in over 22 EU Member States. More than ever, EU agencies stand for solutions to European problems and a promoter for European integration. A mostly neglected feature of EU agencies is the growing involvement of third countries in EU agencies as a form of external differentiated European integration. Currently, Turkey fully participates in only 2 out of 34 powerful decentralised regulatory EU agencies: the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). Since no uniform rule exists concerning the systematic involvement of third countries in EU agencies this project addresses the following question: Whether, in which policy areas and under what conditions could Turkey´s (enhanced) involvement in EU agencies be used as one of EU membership substitute mechanisms as a form of external differentiation? Departing from the current Turkish experiences (EEA and EMCDDA) this project will assess Swiss (EFTA) and Norwegian (EEA) long-standing experiences with EU agencies, and the UK´s evolving new forms of cooperation, covering policy areas of particular importance to EU-Turkey relations (f.ex. migration, security and energy). This project will explore the dynamic and flexible nature of cooperation through EU agencies as a potential valuable asset for Turkey and the EU given the often very long and uncertain road to EU membership - amid prolonged enlargement fatigue across the EU Member States.

Assessing the Potential of EU Agencies for the Future of EU-Turkey Relations, Part 3: Mapping EU Agencies' Coverage in the Turkish Press (2002-2021). Kaeding, M., & Demirpolat, Z. (2021). IPC Policy Brief.

As an EU candidate country, Turkey aspires to be part of Europe’s future. EU agencies play a pivotal role in shaping this future. While Turkey’s relations with EU agencies have taken a variety of forms, this policy brief assesses the relevance and perception of EU agencies in Turkey through focusing on media coverage of EU agencies in the Turkish media. Assessing the Turkish media coverage of EU agencies for the last 20 years, we find that EU agencies have attracted more and more attention across Turkish media over the last few years. But while some EU agencies attract near constant media coverage, there are still a few that have re- ceived limited media coverage or none at all despite their relevance for EU-Turkey relations. Turkish media can play a crucial role in informing the Turkish public about EU agencies and their role in shaping Europe’s future, with great potential for the future of EU-Turkey relations.