Political foundation at European level
Encyclopedia
A European political foundation, formally a political foundation at European level, informally a Eurofoundation, is a research and advocacy organization
close to, but independent from a Europarty. They are funded by the European Parliament
. Their purpose is to act as platforms aiming at developing forward-looking ideas and concepts for their respective political family and providing a forum where those ideas can be widely debated. There are nine Eurofoundations as of 16 March 2009.
An initial €1 million was allocated for pilot proposals, and Call For Proposals DG/EAC/29/2007 went out with a deadline of 28 September 2007. Ten organizations were picked (one for each Europarty) and money was allocated with an expiry date of 31 August 2008.
had registered a company in Dublin called the Libertas Foundation Ltd and that it was intended to "to act as a European Political Foundation for the Libertas Party". Ganley attempted to get EU recognition and funding of €111,000 for the Libertas Foundation in February 2009, but the attempt was rejected because its board members were all from one member state and the foundation name was the same as the aspirant Europarty also founded by Ganley. The same meeting of the Bureau of the European Parliament
that rejected the Libertas foundation but (momentarily) recognised the Libertas party also defunded the Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe (AIDE).
The foundation affiliated to the newly-created Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists
is New Direction
.
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...
close to, but independent from a Europarty. They are funded by the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
. Their purpose is to act as platforms aiming at developing forward-looking ideas and concepts for their respective political family and providing a forum where those ideas can be widely debated. There are nine Eurofoundations as of 16 March 2009.
2003
Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 November 2003 defined what a Europarty, or political party at European level, was and tightened up their regulation.2007
That regulation was later heavily amended by Regulation (EC) No 1524/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2007. That amendment provided for the earlier-floated concept of a political foundation at European level, a legally separate affiliate to an Europarty created to help them disseminate their principles to a wider audience.An initial €1 million was allocated for pilot proposals, and Call For Proposals DG/EAC/29/2007 went out with a deadline of 28 September 2007. Ten organizations were picked (one for each Europarty) and money was allocated with an expiry date of 31 August 2008.
Regulations
As of 1 November 2008, the regulation governing Eurofoundations is Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 November 2003, as later amended under codecision (see above). That regulation's European Commission factsheet is given here.The Eurofoundations
Ten pilot Eurofoundations were set up in 2007/8, nine of which are still in existence as of 16 March 2009. They are as follows:| Foundation |
Address |
Europarty affiliation |
Pilot grant (€) |
Sources |
Current status |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centre for European Studies | 10 Rue du Commerce, Brussels 1000, Belgium | European People's Party European People's Party The European People's Party is a pro-European centre-right European political party. The EPP was founded in 1976 by Christian democratic parties, but later it increased its membership to include conservative parties and parties of other centre-right perspectives.The EPP is the most influential of... |
313,820 | Active | website | |
| Foundation for European Progressive Studies | 98 Rue du Trône, Brussels 1050, Belgium | Party of European Socialists Party of European Socialists The Party of European Socialists is a European political party led by Sergei Stanishev, former Prime Minister of Bulgaria. The PES comprises social-democratic national-level political parties primarily from Member state of the European Union, as well as other nations of the European continent. The... |
286,200 | Active | website | |
| European Liberal Forum European Liberal Forum The European Liberal Forum, abbreviated to ELF, political foundation at European level affiliated to the European Liberal Democratic and Reform Party... |
Square de Meeûs 38/40, 3rd floor, 1000 Brussels, Belgium | European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
107,910 | Active | website | |
| Green European Foundation Green European Foundation The Green European Foundation is political foundation at European level funded by the European Parliament. It is linked to, but independent of, other European Green actors such as the European Green Party and the Green Group in the European Parliament.... |
15 Rue d'Arlon, Brussels 1050, Belgium | European Green Party European Green Party The European Green Party is the Green political party at European level. As such it is a federation of green parties in Europe.-History:... |
61,450 | Active | http://www.gef.eu/ | |
| Institute of European Democrats | 4 Rue d'Industrie, Brussels 1000, Belgium | European Democratic Party European Democratic Party The European Democratic Party is a centrist European political party in favour of European integration. It was initiated on April 16, 2004 and formally founded on December 9 in Brussels... |
51,410 | Active | website | |
| Transform Europe | 30 Rue du Parnasse, Brussels 1050, Belgium | Party of the European Left Party of the European Left The Party of the European Left, commonly abbreviated to just the European Left, is a political party at European level and an association of democratic socialist and communist political parties in the European Union and other European countries. It was formed in January 2004 for the purposes of... |
40,000 | Active | website | |
| EUROPA – Osservatorio sulle politiche dell'unione | 113 Via del Seminario, Rome 00186, Italy | Alliance for Europe of the Nations Alliance for Europe of the Nations The Alliance for Europe of the Nations was a pan-European political party that gathered conservative and national-conservative parties from across the continent.-History:... |
48,900 | Active | Shares an address with Osservatorio Parlamentare, whose website is here and associated foundation is here. | |
| Les Refondateurs Européens | 34 Rue Pasteur, Lyon 69007, France | Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe The Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe was a political party at European level.-Creation:AIDE was created on 28 October 2005 in the Rhône prefecture... |
36,000 | Defunct | Changed its name in April 2008 to Association pour la Fédération Politique Européenne pour la Démocratie, whose website is here and address is Rue de la Cambre, 237, bte 4, Brussels 1150, Belgium. | |
| Foundation for EU Democracy | 203 Rue Belliard, Brussels 1000, Belgium | EUDemocrats EUDemocrats The EUDemocrats – Alliance for a Europe of Democracies – is a eurorealist alliance of parties and movements from 15 European countries. It operates as a transnational party at a European level , according to Regulation No 2004/2003... |
22,530 | Active | website Published the Consolidated Lisbon Treaty - Reader Friendly Edition used during the Ireland Lisbon Treaty Referendum | |
| Centre Maurits Coppieters | 19 Woeringenstraat, Brussels 1000, Belgium | European Free Alliance European Free Alliance The European Free Alliance is a European political party. It consists of various national-level political parties in Europe which advocate either full political independence , or some form of devolution or self-governance for their country or region... |
21,280 | Active | website |
Proposed Eurofoundations
It was reported on 1 November 2008 that Declan GanleyDeclan Ganley
Declan James Ganley is a British-born Irish citizen, entrepreneur, businessman and political activist. He is founder and chairman of a political party, Libertas with pan-European ambitions...
had registered a company in Dublin called the Libertas Foundation Ltd and that it was intended to "to act as a European Political Foundation for the Libertas Party". Ganley attempted to get EU recognition and funding of €111,000 for the Libertas Foundation in February 2009, but the attempt was rejected because its board members were all from one member state and the foundation name was the same as the aspirant Europarty also founded by Ganley. The same meeting of the Bureau of the European Parliament
Bureau (European Parliament)
The Bureau of the European Parliament is responsible for matters relating to the budget, administration, organisation and staff. It is composed of the President of the European Parliament along with all 14 Vice-Presidents and the five Quaestors . They are elected for two and a half years with the...
that rejected the Libertas foundation but (momentarily) recognised the Libertas party also defunded the Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe (AIDE).
The foundation affiliated to the newly-created Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists
Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists
The Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists, abbreviated to AECR, is a centre-right anti-federalist European political party defending broader conservative and classical liberal principles. It consists of twelve parties in nine EU member states and Iceland...
is New Direction
New Direction (think tank)
New Direction – The Foundation for European Reform is a centre-right think tank that formulates policies promoting the free market and opposing a federal Europe. It is the political foundation at European level affiliated to the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists , and based in...
.