Think-tanks & EU policymaking[fr][de] 

Think-tanks are independent non-profit associations, perceived as open and accountable providers of analysis and information to assist policymakers in research and evaluation. Think-tanks aim to be a source of innovative policy options and a consultative forum for new ideas. 

In Brussels, think-tanks use regular conferences and seminars as platforms to network and discuss policy opinions with other EU actors, thus allowing participants from the private sector, media, academia and civil society to meet EU institutional representatives in a neutral environment. According to Notre Europe data, the main target audiences for think-tanks are policymakers, closely followed by the media. NGOs, civil society groups, academic institutions and industry federations come next.

According to a survey of 149 think-tanks by Notre Europe, the most common reasons cited by the EU-specific think-tanks for their initial creation are: 

• To help prepare a country for its accession to the EU; 
• a government initiative to improve the level of analysis of EU policy in a country; 
• to provide a forum for the analysis of a country's position within the EU (and/or its relationship with it regional neighbours); 
• to examine a specific area of EU policy (eg environmental or social policy); 
• to enhance the quality of debate on European issues; 
• to create a platform for researchers and students to express their views on Europe; 
• to provide support to European integration (or, more rarely, to oppose it); 
• to promote economic reform in the EU, and; 
• to promote interest from the corporate sector in EU political affairs. 

The majority of think-tanks surveyed needed a domestic reason to justify their being set up in order to be seen as relevant by their own publics and policymakers. Therefore the focus on EU issues usually comes from a domestic perspective. 

Some of the more established thinks-tanks in Brussels include the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) , the European Policy Centre (EPC) and Friends of Europe . In recent times many new think-thanks have been set up, a number of which work outside Brussels. 

The Notre Europe report indicates that EU think-tanks have not yet "fully found their place in European policymaking". Their added value is not always perceived clearly by decision-makers, and they are often seen as only moderately useful, and sometimes even elitist. Overall, they are believed to have a relatively limited impact on policies and public opinion. The main problem listed is lack of visibility and a failure to communicate their position effectively. 

The main recurring challenge for think-tanks is securing sufficient levels of funding whether public, private, national or international. According to the Austrian Institute for International Affairs: "Most think-tanks are in a permanent state of budgetary crisis." 

Due to the high level of competition in Brussels, EU think-tanks often strive to develop a niche market. This is why think-tanks also try to offer different approaches to EU matters. The EPC for instance takes pride in being a "welcome platform for balanced discussion" while CEPS seeks to produce "sound policy research" and "achieve high standards of academic excellence". They offer different activities, such as the EPC's 'Ideas Factory' forum or the CEPS task forces. 

As a result, Brussels has a mix of academic, advocacy, and contract research think-tanks. The influence that a think-tank is able to exert depends on a number of different factors, such as its relationship with the government, and the political weight of its members. 

In the EU there are a number of strategic dilemmas that question the future efficiency and credibility of existing think-tanks. Notre Europe divides these into two main categories: a need to preserve independence and intellectual credibility in the face of the possible pre-eminence of advocacy and a desire to communicate both with public authorities and the general public at a time when the European democratic deficit is being called into question. 

Notre Europe defined nine criteria that an organisation must fulfill in order to qualify as a think-tank. They need to be permanent organisations that specialise in the production of public policy solutions, thanks to in-house staff dedicated to research. They must generate an original production of ideas, analysis and advice, which is to be communicated to policymakers and public opinion. Such organisations are not responsible for governmental activities. They seek, more generally, to maintain their research independence and not to be committed to particular interests. Their main activity should not be to train or to grant diplomas, but their implicit or explicit goal is to contribute to the public good, unlike purely commercial ventures. 

A critical observation made by Notre Europe is the think-tanks' preference for intervening early in the policy-making process, thus influencing decisions 'upstream'. Think-tanks are seen to focus their attention on forward-looking policies, attempting to influence decision-making bodies before legislation is drafted or parliaments and national governments intervene. 

Stephen Boucher, author of the Notre Europe report on think-tanks, says the potential of European think-tanks will not be fulfilled unless they successfully manage to balance the tension between academic credibility on the one hand and the need to communicate effectively and to gain access to decision-makers on the other. 

In the report by Notre Europe, Jacques Delors also shares his views on the role of think-tanks in EU policymaking: "With ten new member states and the prospect of further enlargement, the European Union is probably experiencing one of the most challenging transitions in its history. Now more than ever, the EU will need to dip into its 'think-tanks'." 

The Brussels European and Global Economic Laboratory (BRUEGEL), a recently formed think-tank launched by former commissioner Mario Monti, recognises that it will have a challenge establishing itself in a growing market of EU think-tanks. With strong financial support from member states and business, BRUEGEL will have to prove it can be independent and deliver new 'out-of-the-box' thinking. 

The Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) is highly critical of some EU think-tanks: "These [new generation of think-tanks] receive corporate sponsorship but are in fact nothing more than corporate front groups," it claims. One CEO report reveals that radical free market think-tanks are thriving on growing volumes of corporate funding from large influential corporations including some US multinationals. 

Another survey recently conducted by the CEO shows a widespread unwillingness among EU think-tanks to disclose who funds their work. According to CEO researcher Olivier Hoedman: "Although most EU think-tanks do not engage much in direct lobbying of decision-makers, the aim of their activities is to influence EU policies [...]Parliamentarians, the media and the public must therefore have access to necessary information about the interests behind these think-tanks, not the least who funds their work."