Regulatory agencies are an original example of cooperation between countries, privateinstitutions and bodies of the European Union. They are an essential link in the developmentof sectoral network administration within the European institutional structures. Theycan be regarded as a kind of platform for coordinating the activities of specialized officesof Member States in specific sectors of the internal market. Although the emphasis in thefounding regulations is put on the independence and autonomy of these bodies, they remainunder significant influence of the Commission and the national governments. This latterphenomenon can be seen in the work of the management boards, which are the main decisionmakingbodies of the agencies. They are a forum in which the most active representativesof the Member States present their positions and in which there is a clash of differentnational interests and preferences. Undoubtedly institutions such as regulatory agencies alsocontribute to the building of the so-called EU identity, but they are still mainly coordinatingbodies in which there is a confrontation of national interests.Key words: national interests, European Union, regulatory agencies, liberalism, realism,constructivism