This project examines an important, but under-researched topic, namely the role of the growing number of European agencies dealing with internal security matters in European integration. More precisely, it investigates whether European agencies are 'engines' of European integration in internal security and, if yes, how and to which extent they fulfil that role. Pollack (2003) has emphasised that the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice have all played an important, albeit varied, role as engines of European integration alongside the governments of the Member States. It is true that the powers of agencies are more limited than those of these three institutions. They do not propose, adopt or annul legislation, but are specialised and 'depoliticised' administrative structures that perform the generally technical tasks that have been delegated to them (Majone 2006). However, they should not be readily dismissed as possible engines of European integration. Indeed, agencies have knowledge and knowledge is a form of power. It is therefore important to examine the extent to, if any, and the ways in which the growing number of European internal security agencies have influenced policy-making and European integration in internal security matters.In order to answer these questions, the project develops an analytical framework drawing upon the literature on 'epistemic communities', which are particular networks of knowledge-based experts. The project examines whether each of the nine European internal security agencies belongs to an epistemic community and, if yes, the extent to which this epistemic community has sought and managed to influence policy-making - thereby enabling the agency to act as an engine of European integration through its membership of the epistemic community. It is expected that the project will generate highly original and relevant findings, which will have a major impact on academic and policy debates.