European Policy Institutes Network (EPIN) is a network of 31 think tank

Think tank

A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...

s from most EU member states and beyond. Its main focus is on current EU and European political and policy debates. EPIN aims to contribute to the debate on the future of Europe through up to the minute, expert analysis and commentary and through providing easy access to understanding the different national debates. EPIN is coordinated by the Centre for European Policy Studies

Centre for European Policy Studies

The Centre for European Policy Studies is a think tank based in Brussels, Belgium that undertakes research "leading to solutions to the challenges facing Europe today"...

 in Brussels

Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...

, Belgium.

History

EPIN is a network of European think tanks and policy institutes with members in most member states and candidate countries of the European Union

European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

. It was established in 2002 during the constitutional Convention on the Future of Europe with partial funding under the PRINCE 'Future of Europe' programme of the European Commission

European Commission

The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....

. Then, its principal role was to follow the works of the Convention. More than 30 conferences in member states and candidate countries were organised in the following year. Since its founding CEPS has served as the network's coordinator.

With the conclusion of the Convention, the funding ended. Yet, CEPS and other participating institutes decided to keep the network in operation. Since then CEPS provides financial support to the network. EPIN has continued to follow the constitutional process in all its phases: (1) the intergovernmental conference of 2003–2004; (2) the ratification process of the Constitutional Treaty; (3) the period of reflection; and (4) the intergovernmental conference of 2007. EPIN continued to follow (5) the ratification process of the Lisbon Treaty and currently entered into the next (6) phase on the implementation of the Treaty.

Status quo

Currently there are 31 EPIN members from 26 countries, also from countries outside of the EU. The 'hard core' work of the network is based on the cooperation of about 15 most active institutes. The member institutes are quite diverse in size and structure, but are all characterised by political independence and the absence of any predetermined point of view or political affiliation.

Since 2005, an EPIN 'Steering Committee' takes the most important decisions. Currently there are seven member institutes: CEPS, DIIS (Denmark), ELCANO (Spain), Notre Europe

Notre Europe

Notre Europe is an independent think tank based in Paris. Founded in 1996 by Jacques Delors, it aims to "think a united Europe."-Research:Notre Europe's research is focused around four axes:...

 (France), SIEPS (Sweden), HIIA (Hungary) and Clingendael

Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael

The Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael or Clingendael Institute is an independent institute of knowledge which studies various aspects of International Relations. The institute is based in The Hague on the Clingendael Estate. Former Dutch minister of foreign affairs Ben...

 (Netherlands).

EPIN organises three events in EU per year; one of them takes place in Brussels

Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...

. The network publishes joint publications on topical issues (e.g. flexible integration, Europe of citizens). EPIN focuses on institutional reform of the Union, but other issues are also addressed. The network follows preparations for the European elections, the EU's communication policy, and the political dynamics after enlargement, as well as EU foreign policy and justice and home affairs.

Achievements

EPIN is a network that offers its member institutes the opportunity to contribute to the 'European added-value' for researchers, decision-makers and citizens. The network provides a platform for researchers and policy analysts to establish personal links, exchange knowledge and collaborate on EU-related issues. Members bring their national perspectives to bear on the issues tackled and through collaboration they contribute to establish a 'European added-value' (e.g. on EU communication, flexible integration). By doing so they strengthen a common European dimension in the national debates on Europe.

Nine EPIN members have been ranked among TOP 50 global think tanks in the report 2008 Global Go To Think Tank by James G. McGann from the University of Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...

. The research covered almost 5,500 think tanks in the world.

EPIN members

EPIN currently has 31 member think tanks and policy institutes:

1. Centre for European Policy Studies

Centre for European Policy Studies

The Centre for European Policy Studies is a think tank based in Brussels, Belgium that undertakes research "leading to solutions to the challenges facing Europe today"...

, Brussels

2. Centre for European Reform

Centre for European Reform

The Centre for European Reform is a London-based think tank which supports European integration while arguing for institutional reform of the European Union...

, London

3. Centre for Liberal Strategies, Sofia

4. CLINGENDAEL

Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael

The Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael or Clingendael Institute is an independent institute of knowledge which studies various aspects of International Relations. The institute is based in The Hague on the Clingendael Estate. Former Dutch minister of foreign affairs Ben...

 - Netherlands Institute of International Relations, The Hague

5. Danish Institute for International Studies

Danish Institute for International Studies

The Danish Institute for International Studies is an independent research institution engaged in research in international affairs.DIIS and the Danish Institute for Human Rights together constitute the Danish Centre for International Studies and Human Rights , which was established by Act of...

, Copenhagen

6. demosEUROPA - Centre for European Strategy, Warsaw

7. EDAM - Centre for Economic and Foreign Policy Studies, Istanbul

8. EGMONT - Royal Institute for International Relations, Brussels

9. ELCANO - Royal Institute for International and Strategic Studies, Madrid

10. ELIAMEP - Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy, Athens

11. Estonian Foreign Policy Institute, Tallinn

12. European Institute, Sofia

13. European Institute of Romania, Bucharest

14. EUROPEUM - Institute for European Policy, Prague

15. Finnish Institute of International Affairs, Helsinki

16. French Institute of International Relations, Paris/Brussels

17. German Council on Foreign Relations, Berlin

18. Hungarian Institute of International Affairs, Budapest

19. Institute of International and European Affairs

Institute of International and European Affairs

The Institute of International and European Affairs is Ireland’s leading think tank on European and International affairs and is an independent, not-for-profit organisation with charitable status. Its extensive research programme aims to provide its members with high-level analysis and forecasts...

, Dublin

20. Institute of International Relations, Prague

21. Institute of Public Affairs

Institute of Public Affairs, Poland

Institute of Public Affairs is an independent, non-partisan public policy think tank in Poland. The IPA was established in 1995 to support modernization reforms and to provide a forum for informed debate on social and political issues...

, Warsaw

22. Istituto Affari Internazionali, Rome

23. IPRIS - Portuguese Institute of International Relations and Security, Lisbon

24. Notre Europe

Notre Europe

Notre Europe is an independent think tank based in Paris. Founded in 1996 by Jacques Delors, it aims to "think a united Europe."-Research:Notre Europe's research is focused around four axes:...

, Paris

25. OIIP - Austrian Institute for International Affairs, Vienna

26. PROVIDUS - Centre for Public Policy, Riga

27. Slovak Foreign Policy Association, Bratislava

28. SIEPS - Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies, Stockholm

29. University of Ljubljana

University of Ljubljana

The University of Ljubljana is the oldest and largest university in Slovenia. With 64,000 enrolled graduate and postgraduate students, it is among the largest universities in Europe.-Beginnings:...

 - Centre of International Relations, Ljubljana

30. University of Nicosia

University of Nicosia

The University of Nicosia is the largest private university in Cyprus, with campuses based in the three largest cities in Cyprus: Nicosia, Lemesos and Larnaca. It was formally known, until September 2007, as Intercollege...

 - Cyprus Center for European and International Affairs, Nicosia

31. University of Vilnius - Institute of International Relations and Political Sciences, Vilnius