Economists’ influence in EU governance is arguably increasing as a result of the economic crisis. Relevant expertise can contribute to improving on decision quality. However, studies also show that experts can be biased and mistaken. This raises the question of how to keep experts effectively to account. The first section of the paper discusses the relationship between justifications for democracy and the legitimacy of expertise and suggests a set of accountability mechanisms. A general challenge for successful expert accountability is epistemic asymmetries making it hard for non-experts to assess the soundness of expert judgments. The second section spells out this challenge and the role of epistemic pluralism for addressing it, and relates these considerations to current challenges for the organization of economic expertise. The third section reviews some recent proposals of reforming EU economic governance. The conclusion sums up the paper and assesses feasibility concerns.
