Associated Partners
1. Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS)
The Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) is the largest, independent think tank operating in Brussels today. It serves as a leading forum for debate on EU affairs, but its most distinguishing feature lies in its strong in-house research capacity, complemented by an extensive network of partner institutes throughout the world. One of its leading goals is conducting independent research in areas such as Economic Policy and Politics and Institutions. CEPS carries out its research via its own in-house research programmes and through collaborative research networks involving the active participation of other highly reputable institutes and specialists from throughout Europe and the rest of the world. Moreover, an extensive membership base of some 120 Corporate Members and 130 Institutional Members, which provide expertise and practical experience and act as a sounding board for CEPS policy proposals. Following last year’s research into the work of the Council of Ministers, this year CEPS researchers concerned with Politics and Institutions have presented a study on how the European Commission has coped with the 2004 enlargement.
Website: www.ceps.be
2. DLA Piper, Brussels
DLA Piper provides full service legal advice to companies around the world by meeting their legal needs wherever they do business. Clients of DLA Piper include local, national, and global companies across a wide range of sectors, ranging from emerging businesses to some of the leading national and multinational companies. Through their office in Brussels, DLA Piper provide clients with a range of essential business advice - not just on large-scale mergers, acquisitions and banking deals but also on regulatory and government affairs, intellectual property, IT, people and employment, real estate, litigation and plans for restructuring. They combine local strength with global reach, supporting national and international companies - from SMEs to multinationals, regional and national governments and institutions.
Website: www.dlapiper.com/belgium
3. European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA)
The European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA) is the leading centre of European learning and development for the public sector. For more than 25 years, EIPA is strongly active in the organization of seminars, training courses, consultancy, research and Master’s programmes. Regional and national civil servants from Member States, candidate countries as well as from the European Commission and other institutions and bodies of the European Union come together at EIPA’s offices in Maastricht (headquarters), Barcelona, Luxembourg, Milan or Warsaw. Here, they receive training and exchange views on EU decision-making and new directives and policies plus the challenges of implementing them at national level. In the EU-CONSENT Network of Excellence, EIPA lead the Work Package on “Institutions”, which aimed to assess the impact of enlargement on the institutions and political actors of the European Union.
Website: www.eipa.nl