Friends of Europe is an independent, not-for-profit think-tank dedicated to fostering open discussion and stimulating new thinking on the issues facing Europe and its citizens.

Based in Brussels, Friends of Europe works throughout Europe. It strives to reach out beyond the Brussels elite, using innovative technologies and pan-European communications campaigns.

Friends of Europe concentrates in particular on six areas: EU institutional reform; Improving communication between the EU and its citizens; EU development policy; External relations of the EU; Energy and the environment; Europe’s social challenges.

Friends of Europe attracts key stakeholders from a wide range of sectors from across Europe. These include EU and national policymakers, business and civil society leaders, NGO representatives, leading academics and the international media ensuring that all sides of the debate are represented.

Legal form

Research center – Think Tank

Objectives

Open forum for debate among EU and national policymakers, NGOs, business leaders, the media and civil society.
More than a traditional think-tank, Friends of Europe aims to stimulate debate beyond the Brussels elite by linking up with major think-tanks and media from across Europe’s national capitals.

Main Activities

• Friends of Europe’s focus for almost a decade has been on the major economic, environmental and security issues that confront not only Europe but the rich and poor nations that make up the international community. Events organised in this field have dealt with regions including the Balkans, China, Turkey, the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China), as well as a series of debates on transatlantic issues entitled “Atlantic Rendez-Vous”.
• Friends of Europe’s annual programmes of international conferences and other debates has placed industrial change and adaptation at the top of the EU agenda. The issues addressed range from the liberalisation of postal services and reform of the Common Agricultural Policy to the fine-tuning of economic policy in the EU and the future of the Lisbon Strategy. Such events aim to give participants an important voice in shaping EU policymaking for the years ahead.
• Europe’s energy security and the global challenge of climate change today both top the political agenda. They have been key features of Friends of Europe’s calendar of events since the beginning of this decade : annual summits on water and energy, special conference on environmental issues organised each year as part of the European Commission’s Green Week.
• Friends of Europe has an ambitious programme of meetings, discussions and reports on the health, education and social aspects of EU policymaking that involves relevant EU and national authorities as well as key business and NGO players.
• In late 2007, Friends of Europe launched its Development Policy Forum to host regular discussions and to publish background reports on these issues. The Development Policy Forum is complemented by an annual two-day summit on the most pressing challenges facing the continent of Africa.

Finance and Main Partners

Memberships
Sponsorships

---