The Centre d'Études Prospectives et d'Informations Internationales (lit.'Centre for Prospective Studies and International Information'[1]), generally referred to by its acronym CEPII, is a French institute for research in international economics. It is government-funded and part of the Office of the Prime Minister, within a network coordinated by France Stratégie.[2]
The origins of CEPII go back to the creation in 1963 by French official Michel Courcier of the GEPEI (French: Groupe d'Études Prospectives des Échanges Internationaux), rebranded GEPI (French: Groupe d'Études Prospectives Internationales) in the 1970s. In 1978, CEPII was given permanent status by government order, with Courcier as its founding director.[3]: 8
Building at 54-58, rue Saint-Denis in Paris, location of CEPII in the 1970sBuilding at 113, rue de Grenelle in Paris, location of CEPII from 2010 to 2017
Precursors
Michel Courcier had started his career after the liberation of France in the research service of the Ministry of Finance, and had assisted several former French colonies such as Cambodia, Madagascar and Senegal in their creation of a national accounting framework. From his international experience, he gained a belief that the methodologies and achievements of French national accounting could and should be expanded to the international level, which became the driving insight for the creation of GEPEI in 1963. The research group was hosted by the Centre Français du Commerce Extérieur (CFCE), a trade promotion agency of the French government.[3]: 8 An early opportunity came with the preparation of President Charles de Gaulle's visit to the Soviet Union in June 1966, for which the GEPEI prepared briefing materials and from which it developed regular relationships with the Soviet Gosplan. The GEPEI thus became a leading center of expertise on the economy of the Communist bloc.[3]: 9 Meanwhile, its research team was joined by economists such as Gérard Lafay [fr] in 1966,[3]: 9 Anton Brender in 1969,[3]: 18 , or Jean Pisani-Ferry in 1977.[3]: 20 By the early 1970s, Courcier and Lafay had developed an economic model of the global economy.[4]
The GEPEI was initially established in Paris on Quai Branly, then Avenue d'Iéna,[3]: 8 then on 54-48, rue Saint-Denis.[5] In late 1980, its successor CEPII moved from there to 9, rue Georges Pitard,[3]: 14 where it remained for three decades. In 2010 CEPII relocated to 113, rue de Grenelle,[6] then in 2017 to 20, avenue de Ségur in Paris.
The CEPII developed a series of publication formats: the monthly Lettre du CEPII from May 1979,[3]: 13 , the quarterly Économie Prospective Internationale from January 1980 (rebranded Économie Internationale in 1993),[3]: 14, 20 working papers (French: documents de travail) from 1984,[3]: 17 the yearly essay L'Économie mondiale from 1991,[3]: 18 and a first website in 1996.[3]: 21
Merger with OFCE
In late 2023, a government-commissioned report by economists Jean-Luc Tavernier [fr] and Nicolas Véron recommended a merger between CEPII and OFCE, another government-funded think tank that focuses on domestic economics. Upon the report's publication, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne endorsed the recommendation.[7]
Leadership
The successive chief executives (French: Directeur) of the CEPII have been:[3]
Michel Courcier, July 1978 - December 1979 (and head of the GEPEI, then GEPI since 1963)
^Bertho, Fabien; Meisel, Nicolas; Roca, Thomas (July 2013). Presentation of the Instituional Profiles Database 2012(PDF). Cahiers - Documents de travail de la DG Trésor (Report). Direction générale du Trésor. p. 4, 7. 2013/03. The Centre for Prospective Studies and International Information (CEPII) is also a partner in the IPD project.
