Study supporting the evaluation of CHAFEA, EACEA, EASME, ERCEA, INEA & REA (2017/2018-2021) : final report : INEA

According to Article 25 of Council Regulation (EC) No 58/2003 laying down the statute for executive agencies, an external evaluation on the operation of each agency must be carried out every three years. This Report presents the findings of the external evaluation of the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) during the period 2017-2021, which assessed the operation of the Agency and its performance results (in terms of effectiveness, efficiency and coherence). A comprehensive methodology was deployed during the evaluation, consisting of extensive desk research, various stakeholder consultation activities, and a cost-benefit analysis. During the period under evaluation, INEA fulfilled its mission and objectives effectively. Its legal framework and additional guidance documents clearly defined the division of responsibilities between the Agency and its parent DGs. Despite some challenges posed by increased workload and difficulties in staff retention, the Agency was effective in fulfilling its mandate, thus enabling the Commission to better focus on its primary policy-making tasks. INEA produced the intended outputs and showed consistently high performance as measured against its KPIs. Among the executive agencies, the Agency was one of the most efficient.