It is widely acknowledged that the EU is currently experiencing a profound crisis of legitimacy. At an institutional level, however, this crisis is differentiated, with EU institutions facing distinct challenges. Drawing from organizational sociology, Dr. Wood compares how three EU agencies with different kinds of tasks (the EMA, EASA and EEA) face three different legitimacy challenges: cognitive, moral and pragmatic. The paper draws on European Parliamentary questions, news reports and legal challenges in the ECJ over a ten-year period. His analysis shows contestation over the economic benefits of regulatory decisions (EMA), objections to a lack of moral empathy (EASA) and an ongoing struggle to achieve recognition and acceptance within a crowded institutional environment (EEA)
