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Non-profit

European Policy Centre (EPC)

Website:

www.epc.eu/en/
Headquarters:

14-16 rue du Trône, 1000
Location:

Brussels, Belgium
Formation:

1996
Type:

Foreign Nonprofit
President:

Herman Van Rompoy

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European Policy Centre (EPC) is a Brussels-based tank that focuses on European issues and supports left-of-center policy positions such as “The Green Deal for real,” 1 decarbonizing” the European economy, 2 and opposing populism. 3 EPC’s policy programming focuses on issues such as European Union institutions, migration, environmentalist issues, and left-of-center social governance policy. 4

Former President of the European Council and former Belgian prime minister Herman Van Rompuy is the president of EPC. 5

History and Leadership

European Policy Centre was founded in 1996 and established as an international not-for-profit in 2003 under Belgian law. 6

Herman Van Rompuy, a former President of the European Council and Prime Minister of Belgium, is the President of EPC. Van Rompuy also leads EPC’s strategic council. 7

EPC’s leadership consists of a strategic council, a governance board, partner organizations, and members that shape the organization’s approach to Europe. 8 Its general assembly meets annually to approve the organization’s accounts and adopt its budget. 9

Activities and Funding

European Policy Centre is a not-for-profit think tank that focuses on European integration. The organization provides a platform to engage decisionmakers with partners, stakeholders, and citizens regarding EU policymaking and future of Europe. 10

EPC supports the left-wing environmentalist concept of “The Green Deal for real,” 11 unified energy policy across Europe, 12 and “decarbonizing” the economy in Europe. 13 EPC also focuses its policy efforts on opposing populism in Europe 14 and left-of-center approaches to environmentalist issues, 15 “diversity,” 16 migration policy in Europe, 17 and support for a common economic market in Europe. 18 EPC also supports using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a guideline for post-COVID-19 recovery. 19

The organization’s policy programs focus on monitoring EU institutions, migration, political economy, environmentalist issues, Europe’s standing in global affairs, left-of-center social governance policy, and enhancing connectivity between different organizations and EU policymakers in Brussels. 20

In 2021, EPC hosted 234 events on European policy issues 21 and released 98 publications. 22 EPC’s reports focus on a wide array of policy issues including “quadrupling” military aid for Ukraine. 23 The organization has called Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban “illiberal” 24 and characterized his government’s methods as “Putinist.” 25

EPC also works directly with think tanks across Europe to expand its efforts beyond Brussels. EPC’s European think tank partners include the Centre for European Reform, DGAP, Elcano Royal Institute, Eliamep, Italian Institute for International Political Studies, Finnish Institute of International Affairs, North Europe Institute, the Polish Institute of International Affairs, Egmont, and the Equilibrium Institute. 26

The Belgian King Baudouin Foundation and the German Stiftung Mercator foundation are EPC’s partner organizations. 27

Membership

European Policy Centre has hundreds of members across different sectors including corporate entities, business and professional associations, NGOs, diplomats, foundations, and other groups. 28

EPC members include: Apple, Johnson and Johnson, Boeing, Bain and Company, Facebook, GlaxoSmithKline, Oracle Corporation, Siemens, UPS, American Chamber of Commerce to the EU and Belgium, China Chamber of Commerce to the EU, foreign diplomatic missions, European Cultural Foundation, European Foundation for Democracy, Open Society European Policy Institute, International Centre for Migration Policy Development, International Organization for Migration, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Bank, Amnesty International, Carbon Market Watch, Circle Economy, Equality and Human Rights Commission, House of Democracy, International Catholic Migration Commission Europe, International Centre for Policy Studies, International Partnership for Human Rights, International Rescue Committee, Internet Society, Oxfam International EU Advocacy Office, Social Progress Imperative, German Marshall Fund of the United States, Ukrainian World Congress, VoteWatch Europe, and the International Committee of the Red Cross. 29

EPC also has a senior council that includes the former European Commission Vice President for competition and individuals associated with Apple, Bain and Company, the International Organization for Migration, the left-of-center Aspen Institute, Open Society European Policy Institute, Atlantic Council, Progressive Alliance, Brookings Institution, and liberal philanthropist George Soros’s Open Society Foundations. 30

Funding

European Policy Centre is funded by grants and membership fees. The organization is also co-funded by the European Union. 31

In 2021, EPC reported revenue of 3,520,316 euros, one-third of which came from grants. These grants included 380,000 euros from German foundation Stiftung Mercator. 350,000 euros from the Belgian King Baudouin Foundation, 250,000 euros from the Europe for Citizens programme, 100,000 euros from the Dutch grantmaking organization Adessium Foundation, and 50,000 euros from Cariplo. EPC also received 813,946 euros of funding from membership fees in 2021. 32

References

  1. “The Green Deal for Real.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/Projects/The-Green-Deal-for-real~495d40.
  2. “Fair Energy Transition for All – How to get there?” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/Publications/Fair-Energy-Transition-for-All–How-to-get-there~4c2df4.
  3. [1] Stratulat, Corina. “Topic: Populism.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/search?tag=517.
  4. “Programmes.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/programmes
  5. “About Us.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/about.
  6. “Who We Are.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/about.
  7.  “About Us.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/about.
  8. “Home.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/.
  9.  “General Assembly.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/general-assembly.
  10. “Home.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/.
  11.  “The Green Deal for Real.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/Projects/The-Green-Deal-for-real~495d40.
  12. “European energy solidarity is both a Necessity and an opportunity.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/Publications/European-energy-solidarity-is-both-a-necessity-and-an-opportunity~4bd034.
  13. “Fair Energy Transition for All – How to get there?” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/Publications/Fair-Energy-Transition-for-All–How-to-get-there~4c2df4.
  14.  Stratulat, Corina. “Topic: Populism.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/search?tag=517.
  15. “Topic: Climate & energy.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/search?tag=60.
  16.  “Topic: Diversity.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/search?tag=886.
  17. “Topic: Migration.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/search?tag=6.
  18. Zuleeg, Fabian. “Topic: Single market.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/search?tag=65.
  19. “European Policy Centre Annual Report 2021.” European Policy Centre. 2021. Accessed November 11, 2022. Pg. 11. https://www.epc.eu/content/PDF/2022/AR2021-WEB.pdf.
  20. “Programmes.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/programmes.
  21. “Events.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/events.
  22. “European Policy Centre Annual Report 2021.” European Policy Centre. 2021. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/content/PDF/2022/AR2021-WEB.pdf.
  23. Paul, Amanda. “Quadruple military aid for Ukraine.” European Policy Centre. October 6, 2022. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/publications/Quadruple-military-aid-for-Ukraine~4b1c84.
  24. Petit, Perle. “What should the EU do about Hungary’s illiberal turn?” November 4, 2022. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/Publications/What-should-the-EU-do-about-Hungarys-illiberal-turn~4c2624.
  25. Pornschlegel, Sophie. “The EU should not turn a blind eye to Putinist methods at home.” European Policy Centre. April 5, 2022. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/publications/The-EU-should-not-turn-a-blind-eye-to-Putinist-methods-at-home~47a9b4.
  26. “Think Tank Partners.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/think-tank-partners.
  27. “Foundation Partners.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/partners.
  28. [1] “Become a Member.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/become-a-member.
  29. “Members.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/members.
  30. “Strategic Council.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/strategic-council.
  31. “Foundation Partners.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/partners.
  32. “Financing.” European Policy Centre. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.epc.eu/en/financing.
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