Centre for European Policy Studies

Last updated
Centre for European Policy Studies
AbbreviationCEPS
Formation1983;42 years ago (1983)
Location
Region served
European Union
Chief Executive Officer
Karel Lannoo
Website www.ceps.eu

The Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) is a leading think tank based in Brussels, Belgium. It was established in 1983. [1] [2] Its primary tasks are to conduct rigorous, evidence-based policy research on European and global issues, to serve as a leading forum for debate among stakeholders, and to disseminate its findings through regular publications and public events. [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Organisation

CEPS's first director was Peter Ludlow. [6] Its director between 2000 and 2020 was Daniel Gros, [7] who had formerly been an economic advisor at the European Commission. [2] Its Chief Executive Officer since 2000 has been Karel Lannoo. [8] Currently Andrea Renda is the Director of Research at CEPS, leading the GRID unit on global governance, regulation, innovation, and the digital economy while also holding influential academic, advisory, and research roles internationally in digital policy, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies. [9] [10] [11]

Funding

CEPS receives significant funding from the European Union through research contracts, grants, and framework projects. According to CEPS’s own disclosures, over 40% of its net revenue in 2023 came from grants and services provided to EU institutions. and 17.3% came from corporate and institutional membership fees. [12]

In a 2025 report published by MCC Brussels, CEPS was identified among the largest recipients of EU institutional support. The report claimed CEPS had been involved in projects totalling around €250 million between 2014 and 2025, and directly received approximately €25 million in EU funding during that period. Critics argue that this scale of EU involvement raises questions about the independence of think tanks operating within Brussels, particularly when their research aligns closely with EU policy priorities such as deeper integration or the Green Deal.

In 2015, 23% of CEPS's budget came from collaborative European research projects, in which academics Diane Stone and Stella Ladi note it often played the role of communicating the project results. [13]

Writing in 2000, Philippa Sherrington noted that CEPS's corporate membership was then its largest source of income, with "its promotional literature [stressing] the importance of this constituency". [14]

Public Debate and Criticism

The MCC Brussels report “The EU’s Propaganda Machine: Funding NGOs to Promote EU Values” positioned CEPS within what it called the “EU–NGO propaganda complex”, a network of organisations allegedly funded to promote the European Commission’s agenda and counter euroscepticism. The report claimed this network blurred the distinction between independent civil society and institutional advocacy, arguing that funding programmes such as the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) initiative have been used to influence public discourse. [15] [16]

Rankings

Ramona Coman notes that together with Bruegel, CEPS is one of only two Brussels-based organisations to occupy leading positions in international rankings of think tanks. [2]

References

  1. ↑ "About CEPS". Centre for European Policy Studies. 2008-02-29. Archived from the original on 2008-02-21. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  2. 1 2 3 Coman, Ramona (2019). "Why and how do think tanks expand their networks in times of crisis? The case of Bruegel and the Centre for European Policy Studies". Journal of European Public Policy. 26 (2): 286–301. doi:10.1080/13501763.2017.1415953.
  3. ↑ "About CEPS - CEPS". 2019-04-10. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  4. ↑ "Independence of research - CEPS". 2019-04-10. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  5. ↑ "CEPS - Centre for European Policy studies | Knowledge for policy". knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  6. ↑ Watson, Rory (8 July 1998). "Crossing the business and political divide". Politico. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  7. ↑ "Daniel Gros". Centre for European Policy Studies. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  8. ↑ "Karel Lannoo". Centre for European Policy Studies. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  9. ↑ "Andrea Renda - CEPS". 2009-07-25. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  10. ↑ "GRID - CEPS" . Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  11. ↑ "Andrea Renda". European University Institute. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  12. ↑ "Annual Report 2023" (PDF). Centre for European Policy Studies. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  13. ↑ Stone, Diane; Ladi, Stella (2017). "Policy Analysis and Think Tanks in Comparative Perspective". In Brans, Marleen; Geva-May, Iris; Howlett, Michael (eds.). Routledge Handbook of Comparative Policy Analysis. New York: Routledge. pp. 325–340. ISBN   9781315660561.
  14. ↑ Sherrington, Philippa (2000). "Shaping the Policy Agenda: Think Tank Activity in the European Union". Global Society. 14 (2): 173–189. doi:10.1080/13600820050008430.
  15. ↑ Scheffer, Joakim (2025-02-17). "Calls for EU's Own Musk-Style DOGE Intensify — Here's Why". Hungarian Conservative. Retrieved 2025-10-31.
  16. ↑ "Following shocking new report about scale of the EU-NGO propaganda complex, MCC Brussels calls for establishment of EU DOGE". brussels.mcc.hu. 2025-02-12. Retrieved 2025-10-31.
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