Spinning a global web of EU external relations: how the EU establishes stronger joint bodies where they matter most

Many international agreements of the European Union establish what we call joint bodies (JBs). Examples of such bodies include joint committees, joint sub-committees, and association and cooperation councils. Over the years, the EU has built an impressive global web of JBs, which bring together EU and third-country executive officials and play a key role in governing EU external relations. But not all of them are created equal, with some considerably stronger than others. What explains this variation in ‘JB strength’? We formulate a cost–benefit argument, where stronger JBs generate greater costs and are primarily included in agreements promising greater benefits. Benefits, in turn, are greater if implementation helps the EU attain its goals, parties are interdependent, and agreements have a broad scope. Drawing on an original dataset of 547 agreements concluded since 1992, we find support for the argument that the EU strategically establishes joint bodies ‘where they matter most’.