The Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) is a European network of research institutes and think-tanks in the field of European affairs. Founded in 1974, it is an international nonprofit association under Belgian law with 44 member organisations in 37 different European countries,[1] and an office in Brussels.
History
TEPSA was founded in 1974 by four research institutes: the Institut für Europaische Politik (Germany), the Istituto Affari Internazionali (Italy), the Federal Trust for Education and Research (UK) and the Association Française pour l’Etude de l’Union Européenne (France). In 1978, upon the accession of its Belgian member, Prof. Jacques Vandamme, former adviser to Belgian Prime minister Leo Tindemans,[2] was designated president of the association.
TEPSA progressively extended its membership to 20 institutes in the year 2000. In 2016, full membership was opened to organizations from all European countries outside the European Union, allowing TEPSA to expand to 38 members in 2017. The current Chairman of the TEPSA board is Prof. Michael Kaeding [de] (University of Duisburg-Essen), succeeding to Prof. Wolfgang Wessels (University of Cologne).
In 2016, TEPSA was ranked as 12th best think-tank network by the University of Pennsylvania’s Global Go To Think Tank Index Report, an annual ranking of the world’s best think-tanks.[3]
Aims and activities
TEPSA aims at maintaining a stable framework for transnational research cooperation in the field of European affairs, and providing new opportunities for academics and students in the field, mainly through EU-funded research and education projects. With one member in each EU country and members in EFTA, Eastern Neighborhood and candidate countries, but also a number of associate members, TEPSA seeks to stimulate discussion on policy options for Europe by bringing together academics and students from across the continent, and connecting them with practitioners and policymakers.
Since its founding in 1974, TEPSA organises a conference twice a year with academics and policymakers on the agenda of the upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union (the Pre-Presidency Conference), where it delivers a set of recommendations to representatives of the presiding member state.[4][5][6][7][8] The conference is jointly organised with and hosted by the member organisation in the concerned country.
TEPSA also regularly delivers its members' expertise to the European Parliament in briefings and studies.[9][10]
Emeritus Professor of European Union Law, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, and former Lector in European Integration, The Hague University for Applied Sciences.[11]
Mr. Pierre Florent Peterkenne, Treasurer
Former auditor at Ernst & Young Company Auditors.[11]
Dr. Katrin Böttger, Board Member
Deputy Director of the Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP), Berlin.[11]
Prof. Michele Chang, Board Member
Professor in the Department of European Political and Governance Studies of the College of Europe, Bruges.[11]
Prof. Atila Eralp, Board Member
Director of the Center for European Studies and Professor in the Department of International Relations of the Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara.[11]
Dr. Juha Jokela, Board Member
Director of the European Union Research Programme at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA), Helsinki.[11]
Prof. Petr Kratochvíl, Board Member
Director of the Institute of International Relations (IIR), Prague, and Chairman of the Academic Council of the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.[11]
Dr. Sabina Lange, Board Member
Lecturer at the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA), Maastricht, and Senior Associate Analyst at the EU Institute for Security Studies (EUISS), Paris.[11]
Prof. Lucia Mokrá, Board Member
Dean of the Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences of Comenius University, Bratislava.[11]
Professor at ETH Zurich and Director of the Center of Comparative and International Studies of ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich.[11]
Dr. Funda Tekin, Board Member
Senior Researcher at the Centre international de formation européenne (CIFE), Berlin, and Senior Research Adviser at the Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP), Berlin, Vice-Director of the University of Cologne.[11]
Honorary board members
Name
Position
Graham Avery
Honorary Director-General of the European Commission, Senior Adviser at the European Policy Centre (EPC).[11]
Former Member of the European Parliament, 1999-2014. Former President of the Union of European Federalists. Visiting fellow at the European Policy Centre (EPC)[11]
Christian Frank
Honorary Professor, Université Catholique de Louvain.[11]
Jean Paul Jacquė
Honorary Director General and Special Councillor at the Council, Professor at the University of Strasbourg and at the College of Europe.[11]
Jean-Victor Louis
Honorary Professor, Université Libre de Bruxelles.[11]
Jacques Vandamme
Honorary President of the Study Group for European Policies (SEP-GEPE).[11]
Guy Vanhaeverbeke
Honorary Director of the European Parliament Information Service.[11]
