The Development of Frontex: integration through supranationalism

This article interrogates the development of the European Border and Coast Guard (Frontex) and its implications for the EU’s approach to border control coordination. Through the theoretical lens of the principal-agent model, it investigates information asymmetry and friction between stakeholders in the implementation of Frontex’s increased competence at the borders. The findings of this article show that the development of Frontex has led to growing incentives for the EU’s supranational institutions to steer the agency to pursue their individual objectives, creating new supranational elements in EU border management.