Difference between revisions of "European Policy Centre"

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The [[European Policy Centre]] (EPC) is a pro-business European think tank, founded in 1996. It is committed to making European integration work and enjoys an influential position. According to the ECP website its members include companies, professional and business federations, trade unions, diplomatic missions, regional and local bodies, as well as NGOs representing a broad range of civil society interests, foundations, international and religious organisations.<ref> European Policy Centre, [http://www.epc.eu/about.php About Us: Mission Statement] accessed 1st November 2011 </ref> The EPC defines its mission as "contributing to the construction of Europe", and to achieve this it "encourages a debate among all significant interest groups and channels the results to policy-makers". It makes no secret of placing "special emphasis on strengthening the interface of government with business". <ref> European Policy Centre, [http://www.epc.eu/about.php About Us: Mission Statement] accessed 1st November 2011 </ref>   
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The [[European Policy Centre]] (EPC) is a pro-business European think tank, founded in 1996. It is committed to making European integration work and enjoys an influential position within European politics. According to the ECP website its members include companies, professional and business federations, trade unions, diplomatic missions, regional and local bodies, as well as NGOs representing a broad range of civil society interests, foundations, international and religious organisations.<ref> European Policy Centre, [http://www.epc.eu/about.php About Us: Mission Statement] accessed 1st November 2011 </ref> The EPC defines its mission as "contributing to the construction of Europe", and to achieve this it "encourages a debate among all significant interest groups and channels the results to policy-makers". It makes no secret of placing "special emphasis on strengthening the interface of government with business". <ref> European Policy Centre, [http://www.epc.eu/about.php About Us: Mission Statement] accessed 1st November 2011 </ref>  The EPC is one of the most prominent EU think tanks it relies on corporate funding and spokespeople often appear in the media as neutral commentators. <ref> Corporate Europe Observatory, [http://archive.corporateeurope.org/docs/lobbycracy/lobbyplanet.pdf Lobby Planet: Brussels the EU Quarter] July 2005, accessed 1st November 2011 </ref>
 
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==EPC in Action==
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The [[European Policy Centre]] is based in Résidence Palace 155 rue de la Loi Brussels, a formerly a luxury apartment block that now contains offices for media organisations, think tanks including [[Lisbon Council]] and the journo-lobbying website [[TechCentralStation]] that [[Corporate Europe Observatory]] describes as "an aggressive US journo-lobbying website funded by companies like Microsoft, Exxon and
[[Corporate Europe Observatory]] report:
+
McDonalds. The website www.Tech CentralStation.be is full of the kind of furious attacks on environmental and social legislation that are more commonly associated with radio talkshows from the US mid-west" <ref> Corporate Europe Observatory, [http://archive.corporateeurope.org/docs/lobbycracy/lobbyplanet.pdf Lobby Planet: Brussels the EU Quarter] July 2005, accessed 1st November 2011 </ref> The EPC makes no secret of its pro business stance. [[Corporate Europe Observatory]] report:
 
:"We are action oriented and we believe that business must be more involved in public policies."<ref> Quoted in "Crossing the Business and Political Divide", by Rory Watson, the European Voice 9-15 July 1998. </ref>   
 
:"We are action oriented and we believe that business must be more involved in public policies."<ref> Quoted in "Crossing the Business and Political Divide", by Rory Watson, the European Voice 9-15 July 1998. </ref>   
  
The Centre, as the EPC calls itself, was established in January 1997 by the trio of [[Stanley Crossick]], godfather of Brussels lobbying; Mr. Crossick, [[Max Kohnstamm]], former vice president of the [[Jean Monnet Action Committee]]; and [[John Palmer]], former European editor of The ''Guardian''. Crossick, Kohnstamm and Palmer had in 1991, founded the Belmont European Policy Centre, which was the predecessor of the EPC.  
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==History==
 +
The Centre, as the EPC calls itself, was established in January 1997 by a trio of prominent public affairs people, [[Stanley Crossick]], godfather of Brussels lobbying; [[Max Kohnstamm]], former vice president of the [[Jean Monnet Action Committee]]; and [[John Palmer]], former European editor of The ''Guardian''. In 1991 Crossick, Kohnstamm and Palmer had founded the [[Belmont European Policy Centre]], which was the predecessor of the EPC.  
  
The EPC's bias towards industry is well reflected in the composition of its advisory board, which together with the advisors' team helps the three founders run the Centre, and also in its membership. The Centre claims to include trade unions, but in fact the only representative is [[Emilio Gabaglio]], secretary-general of the [[European Trade Union Confederation]] (ETUC), well-known for its constructive approach towards neoliberal European Union policies.  
+
The EPC's bias towards industry is well reflected in the composition of its advisory board, which together with the advisors' team helps the three founders run the Centre, and also in its membership. The Centre claims to include trade unions, but in fact the only representative is [[Emilio Gabaglio]], secretary-general of the [[European Trade Union Confederation]] (ETUC), well-known for its constructive approach towards neo-liberal European Union policies.  
  
 
There are no other representatives of 'civil society' involved. However, the board does include six European parliamentarians, five former directors-general and a vice president of the [[European Commission]], journalists from newspapers such as ''Le Monde'' and the ''Financial Times'', corporate directors from [[Philips]] and [[Mars]], and influential industrialists such as [[Peter Sutherland]] (former European commissioner and [[GATT]] director and current chairman of [[British Petroleum]] and [[Goldman Sachs]] International); the former and current [[ERT]] secretary generals [[Keith Richardson]] {{ref|note5}} and [[Wim Philippa]]; [[UNICE]] secretary general [[Dirk Hudig]], and [[Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa]] from the executive board of the [[European Central Bank]]. The EPC enjoys significant financial support from its corporate members such as [[ABB]], [[BAT]], [[BP]], [[British Telecom]] and [[Solvay]] -- all members of the [[European Roundtable of Industrialists]] (ERT) -- and other large corporations such as [[Dow]], [[DuPont]], [[Philip Morris]] and [[SmithKline Beecham]]. In exchange, these corporate donors are provided services such as regular contact with decision makers. {{ref|note6}} {{ref|CEO}}
 
There are no other representatives of 'civil society' involved. However, the board does include six European parliamentarians, five former directors-general and a vice president of the [[European Commission]], journalists from newspapers such as ''Le Monde'' and the ''Financial Times'', corporate directors from [[Philips]] and [[Mars]], and influential industrialists such as [[Peter Sutherland]] (former European commissioner and [[GATT]] director and current chairman of [[British Petroleum]] and [[Goldman Sachs]] International); the former and current [[ERT]] secretary generals [[Keith Richardson]] {{ref|note5}} and [[Wim Philippa]]; [[UNICE]] secretary general [[Dirk Hudig]], and [[Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa]] from the executive board of the [[European Central Bank]]. The EPC enjoys significant financial support from its corporate members such as [[ABB]], [[BAT]], [[BP]], [[British Telecom]] and [[Solvay]] -- all members of the [[European Roundtable of Industrialists]] (ERT) -- and other large corporations such as [[Dow]], [[DuPont]], [[Philip Morris]] and [[SmithKline Beecham]]. In exchange, these corporate donors are provided services such as regular contact with decision makers. {{ref|note6}} {{ref|CEO}}
  
 
==EPC: Roundtable on Alcohol Related Harm==
 
==EPC: Roundtable on Alcohol Related Harm==
The EPC were asked to chair a series of four meetings intended to‘identify areas of agreement between the stakeholders as to actions that can contribute effectively to the reduction of [alcohol-related] harm and indicate where and why there is disagreement, and in so doing help create confidence between stakeholders’ {{ref|7}}.  These meetings facilitated by the EPC who invited a number of industry stakeholders, public health NGOs the [[European Commission]] members states and academic experts.  The substance of these meetings involved working through 78 issues related to alcohol policy presented by the [[European Commission]] in an informal draft of their communication on Alcohol.  Each item was graded on the basis of a traffic lights system, green issues were broadly aggreeable to all present and 68 of the measures were, to the surprise of helath campaigners green.  Seven were amber, indicating no overall agreement but that some compromises might be reached.  Three were categorised as red issues where the industry simply refused to negotiate {{ref|8}}
 
 
{{Template:Alcohol badge}}
 
{{Template:Alcohol badge}}
Dr [[Peter Anderson]], author of the Alcohol In Europe report (2006) commented “The European Policy Centre (EPC) describes itself as ‘an independent, not-for-profit think tank, committed to making European integration work’.  Its independence is, of course, ensured by the fact that its prime corporate members and sponsors include InBev, the world’s largest brewer and Philip Morris International” {{ref|9}}. The final outcome of this process, and other consultations resulted in the launch of the [[European Alcohol and Health Forum]].
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The EPC were asked to chair a series of four meetings intended to‘identify areas of agreement between the stakeholders as to actions that can contribute effectively to the reduction of alcohol-related harm and indicate where and why there is disagreement, and in so doing help create confidence between stakeholders’.<ref> Corporate Europe Observatory, [http://www.corporateeurope.org/observer2/epc.html Part One: The European Policy Centre] European Think Tank Series, Issue 2, October 1998, </ref> The EPC invited a number of industry stakeholders, public health NGOs the [[European Commission]] members states and academic experts.  The substance of the meetings involved working through 78 issues related to alcohol policy presented by the [[European Commission]] in an informal draft of their communication on Alcohol.  Each item was graded on the basis of a traffic lights system, green issues were broadly agreeable to all present and 68 of the measures were, to the surprise of health campaigners green.  Seven were amber, indicating no overall agreement but that some compromises might be reached.  Three were categorised as red issues where the industry simply refused to negotiate. <ref> EPC [http://www.theepc.be/home.asp The EPC] Last Accessed July 2007 </ref>
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Dr [[Peter Anderson]], author of the Alcohol In Europe report (2006) commented “The European Policy Centre (EPC) describes itself as ‘an independent, not-for-profit think tank, committed to making European integration work’.  Its independence is, of course, ensured by the fact that its prime corporate members and sponsors include [[InBev]], the world’s largest brewer and [[Philip Morris]] International”. <ref> Anderson & Baumberg, [http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2006.01713.x Alcohol Policy: Who should sit at the table?] ''Addiction Volume'' 102, No. 2 pp 335-336 (online subscription required)</ref> The final outcome of this process, and other consultations resulted in the launch of the [[European Alcohol and Health Forum]].
  
 
==People==
 
==People==
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*[[Karel Van Miert]] (Vice-President); Former European Commissioner for Competition Policy
 
*[[Karel Van Miert]] (Vice-President); Former European Commissioner for Competition Policy
 
*[[Antonio Vitorino]] (Vice-President); Former European Commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs
 
*[[Antonio Vitorino]] (Vice-President); Former European Commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs
 
 
*[[David Arkless]] Senior Vice-President Corporate Affairs, [[Manpower]] Inc
 
*[[David Arkless]] Senior Vice-President Corporate Affairs, [[Manpower]] Inc
 
 
*[[Stephen Badger]] Vice-President, [[Mars]] Incorporated
 
*[[Stephen Badger]] Vice-President, [[Mars]] Incorporated
 
 
*[[Antony Burgmans]] Chairman of [[Unilever]] NV; Vice-Chairman of Unilever plc
 
*[[Antony Burgmans]] Chairman of [[Unilever]] NV; Vice-Chairman of Unilever plc
 
 
*HE [[Dipak Chatterjee]] Ambassador of India to Belgium and Luxembourg and to the European Union
 
*HE [[Dipak Chatterjee]] Ambassador of India to Belgium and Luxembourg and to the European Union
 
 
*[[Philippe de Schoutheete de Tervarent]] Former Permanent Representative of Belgium to the EU
 
*[[Philippe de Schoutheete de Tervarent]] Former Permanent Representative of Belgium to the EU
 
 
*[[Stéphane Ducable]] Director of External Affairs, [[Microsoft]] EMEA
 
*[[Stéphane Ducable]] Director of External Affairs, [[Microsoft]] EMEA
 
 
*[[Alan Dukes]] Director General, [[Institute of European Affairs]], Dublin
 
*[[Alan Dukes]] Director General, [[Institute of European Affairs]], Dublin
 
 
*[[Gareth Evans]] President, [[International Crisis Group]]
 
*[[Gareth Evans]] President, [[International Crisis Group]]
 
 
*[[Piero Gastaldo]] Secretary General, [[Compagnia di San Paolo]]
 
*[[Piero Gastaldo]] Secretary General, [[Compagnia di San Paolo]]
 
 
*[[Xavier Gizard]] General Secretary, [[Conférence des Régions Périphériques Maritimes d'Europe]]
 
*[[Xavier Gizard]] General Secretary, [[Conférence des Régions Périphériques Maritimes d'Europe]]
 
 
*[[Sylvie Goulard]] Associated Research Fellow at [[CERI]] (Paris); Teacher at Sciences Po (Paris) and College of Europe (Brussels)
 
*[[Sylvie Goulard]] Associated Research Fellow at [[CERI]] (Paris); Teacher at Sciences Po (Paris) and College of Europe (Brussels)
 
 
*[[Craig Kennedy]] President, [[German Marshall Fund]] of the United States
 
*[[Craig Kennedy]] President, [[German Marshall Fund]] of the United States
 
 
*[[Erkki Liikanen]] Chairman of the Board, [[Finland's Bank]]; former European Commissioner for Enterprise and Information Society
 
*[[Erkki Liikanen]] Chairman of the Board, [[Finland's Bank]]; former European Commissioner for Enterprise and Information Society
 
 
*[[Tony Long]] Director, [[WWF]] European Policy Office
 
*[[Tony Long]] Director, [[WWF]] European Policy Office
 
 
*[[Donald MacInnes]] Chief Executive, [[Scotland Europa]]
 
*[[Donald MacInnes]] Chief Executive, [[Scotland Europa]]
 
 
*[[Rory Macmillan]] Director, Government Affairs - EMEA, [[Nike]]
 
*[[Rory Macmillan]] Director, Government Affairs - EMEA, [[Nike]]
 
 
*[[Erika Mann]] Member of the European Parliament; Chair of Management Committee of [[Transatlantic Policy Network]]
 
*[[Erika Mann]] Member of the European Parliament; Chair of Management Committee of [[Transatlantic Policy Network]]
 
 
*[[John Monks]] Secretary-General of [[European Trade Union Confederation]]
 
*[[John Monks]] Secretary-General of [[European Trade Union Confederation]]
 
 
*[[Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa]] Former Member of the Executive Board, [[European Central Bank]]
 
*[[Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa]] Former Member of the Executive Board, [[European Central Bank]]
 
 
*[[Robin Pauley]] President, European Affairs, [[BT]] Group
 
*[[Robin Pauley]] President, European Affairs, [[BT]] Group
 
 
*[[Wim Philippa]] Secretary-General, [[European Round Table of Industrialists]]
 
*[[Wim Philippa]] Secretary-General, [[European Round Table of Industrialists]]
 
 
*[[Gaëtane Ricard-Nihoul]] Secretary-General, [[Notre Europe]]
 
*[[Gaëtane Ricard-Nihoul]] Secretary-General, [[Notre Europe]]
 
 
*[[Maria João Rodrigues]] Professor of Economics at the University of Lisbon, Member of the European Employment Task Force
 
*[[Maria João Rodrigues]] Professor of Economics at the University of Lisbon, Member of the European Employment Task Force
 
 
*[[Witold Sartorius]] Co-ordinator of Programmes, [[Foundation for Economic Education]], Warsaw
 
*[[Witold Sartorius]] Co-ordinator of Programmes, [[Foundation for Economic Education]], Warsaw
 
 
*Sir [[David Sieff]] Non-Executive Director, [[Marks & Spencer]]
 
*Sir [[David Sieff]] Non-Executive Director, [[Marks & Spencer]]
 
 
*[[Luc Tayart de Borms]] Managing Director, [[King Baudouin Foundation]]
 
*[[Luc Tayart de Borms]] Managing Director, [[King Baudouin Foundation]]
 
 
*[[Helen Wallace]] Director, [[European University Institute]], Florence
 
*[[Helen Wallace]] Director, [[European University Institute]], Florence
 
 
*[[Maja Wessels]] Senior Vice-President Government Relations, [[Honeywell]]
 
*[[Maja Wessels]] Senior Vice-President Government Relations, [[Honeywell]]
 
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*[[Monika Wulf-Mathies]] Managing Director Policy and Environment, [[Deutsche Post World Net]]; Adviser to Germany's Chancellor; former European Commissioner for Regional Policy.
*[[Monika Wulf-Mathies]] Managing Director Policy and Environment, [[Deutsche Post World Net]]; Adviser to Germany's Chancellor; former European Commissioner for Regional Policy
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
==Members==
 
==Members==
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*[[White & Case]]
 
*[[White & Case]]
  
==Notes==
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==References==
 
+
<references/>
#{{note|note1}} Quoted in "Crossing the Business and Political Divide", by Rory Watson, the European Voice 9-15 July 1998.
 
#{{note|note2}} Mr. Crossick, a British corporate lawyer who set up his lobby firm in Brussels in 1977, managed to add to the Maastricht treaty a 68-word paragraph worth US$1 to $2 billion per word in savings to the European pension industry. Without these words, pension funds could have been forced to equalize the pension payments they had made to men and women since 1957. Source: "EU: The Brussels Lobbyists and the Struggle for Ear-Time", by Charlemagne, The Economist, 14 July 1998. |
 
#{{note|note3}} Crossick, Kohnstamm and Palmer had earlier, in 1991, founded the Belmont European Policy Centre, which was the predecessor of the EPC.
 
#{{note|4}} The EPC Website [http://www.europeanpolicycenter.com> Home Page]
 
#{{note|note5}} Keith Richardson is also special advisor to the Centre. Other advisors include Julian Oliver, former chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce's EU Committee.
 
#{{note|note6}} Corporate members are divided into four contribution categories: bronze, silver, gold and platinum corresponding to annual 2,500, 5,000, 10,000 and 100,000 Ecu donations. Only founders are considered platinum, Mark & Spencer and Mars.
 
#{{note|7}} CEO [http://www.corporateeurope.org/observer2/epc.html Part One: The European Policy Centre] EUROPEAN THINK TANK SERIES, corporate Europe Observer, Issue 2, October 1998
 
#{{note|8}}EPC [http://www.theepc.be/home.asp The EPC] Last Accessed July 2007
 
#{{note|9}} EPC [http://www.theepc.be/pdf/alcohol.pdf2006 Report of the EPC Roundtable on Alcohol-related harm: ways forward. Brussels, Belgium: European Policy Centre] Last Accessed July 2007
 
#{{note|10}} Anderson & Baumberg [http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2006.01713.x Alcohol Policy: Who should sit at the table?] Addiction Volume 102, No. 2 pp 335-336 (online subscription required)
 
  
 
[[Category:Alcohol]][[category:Alcohol Lobby Groups]][[Category:Corporate Lobby Groups]]
 
[[Category:Alcohol]][[category:Alcohol Lobby Groups]][[Category:Corporate Lobby Groups]]

Revision as of 10:01, 1 November 2011

Twenty-pound-notes.jpg This article is part of the Lobbying Portal, a sunlight project from Spinwatch.

The European Policy Centre (EPC) is a pro-business European think tank, founded in 1996. It is committed to making European integration work and enjoys an influential position within European politics. According to the ECP website its members include companies, professional and business federations, trade unions, diplomatic missions, regional and local bodies, as well as NGOs representing a broad range of civil society interests, foundations, international and religious organisations.[1] The EPC defines its mission as "contributing to the construction of Europe", and to achieve this it "encourages a debate among all significant interest groups and channels the results to policy-makers". It makes no secret of placing "special emphasis on strengthening the interface of government with business". [2] The EPC is one of the most prominent EU think tanks it relies on corporate funding and spokespeople often appear in the media as neutral commentators. [3]

The European Policy Centre is based in Résidence Palace 155 rue de la Loi Brussels, a formerly a luxury apartment block that now contains offices for media organisations, think tanks including Lisbon Council and the journo-lobbying website TechCentralStation that Corporate Europe Observatory describes as "an aggressive US journo-lobbying website funded by companies like Microsoft, Exxon and McDonalds. The website www.Tech CentralStation.be is full of the kind of furious attacks on environmental and social legislation that are more commonly associated with radio talkshows from the US mid-west" [4] The EPC makes no secret of its pro business stance. Corporate Europe Observatory report:

"We are action oriented and we believe that business must be more involved in public policies."[5]

History

The Centre, as the EPC calls itself, was established in January 1997 by a trio of prominent public affairs people, Stanley Crossick, godfather of Brussels lobbying; Max Kohnstamm, former vice president of the Jean Monnet Action Committee; and John Palmer, former European editor of The Guardian. In 1991 Crossick, Kohnstamm and Palmer had founded the Belmont European Policy Centre, which was the predecessor of the EPC.

The EPC's bias towards industry is well reflected in the composition of its advisory board, which together with the advisors' team helps the three founders run the Centre, and also in its membership. The Centre claims to include trade unions, but in fact the only representative is Emilio Gabaglio, secretary-general of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), well-known for its constructive approach towards neo-liberal European Union policies.

There are no other representatives of 'civil society' involved. However, the board does include six European parliamentarians, five former directors-general and a vice president of the European Commission, journalists from newspapers such as Le Monde and the Financial Times, corporate directors from Philips and Mars, and influential industrialists such as Peter Sutherland (former European commissioner and GATT director and current chairman of British Petroleum and Goldman Sachs International); the former and current ERT secretary generals Keith Richardson [1] and Wim Philippa; UNICE secretary general Dirk Hudig, and Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa from the executive board of the European Central Bank. The EPC enjoys significant financial support from its corporate members such as ABB, BAT, BP, British Telecom and Solvay -- all members of the European Roundtable of Industrialists (ERT) -- and other large corporations such as Dow, DuPont, Philip Morris and SmithKline Beecham. In exchange, these corporate donors are provided services such as regular contact with decision makers. [2] [3]

EPC: Roundtable on Alcohol Related Harm

Alcohol badge.jpg This article is part of the Spinwatch public health oriented Alcohol Portal project.

The EPC were asked to chair a series of four meetings intended to‘identify areas of agreement between the stakeholders as to actions that can contribute effectively to the reduction of alcohol-related harm and indicate where and why there is disagreement, and in so doing help create confidence between stakeholders’.[6] The EPC invited a number of industry stakeholders, public health NGOs the European Commission members states and academic experts. The substance of the meetings involved working through 78 issues related to alcohol policy presented by the European Commission in an informal draft of their communication on Alcohol. Each item was graded on the basis of a traffic lights system, green issues were broadly agreeable to all present and 68 of the measures were, to the surprise of health campaigners green. Seven were amber, indicating no overall agreement but that some compromises might be reached. Three were categorised as red issues where the industry simply refused to negotiate. [7]

Dr Peter Anderson, author of the Alcohol In Europe report (2006) commented “The European Policy Centre (EPC) describes itself as ‘an independent, not-for-profit think tank, committed to making European integration work’. Its independence is, of course, ensured by the fact that its prime corporate members and sponsors include InBev, the world’s largest brewer and Philip Morris International”. [8] The final outcome of this process, and other consultations resulted in the launch of the European Alcohol and Health Forum.

People

Members

Members listed on The EPC's Website include:

Platinum Members

Gold Members

References

  1. European Policy Centre, About Us: Mission Statement accessed 1st November 2011
  2. European Policy Centre, About Us: Mission Statement accessed 1st November 2011
  3. Corporate Europe Observatory, Lobby Planet: Brussels the EU Quarter July 2005, accessed 1st November 2011
  4. Corporate Europe Observatory, Lobby Planet: Brussels the EU Quarter July 2005, accessed 1st November 2011
  5. Quoted in "Crossing the Business and Political Divide", by Rory Watson, the European Voice 9-15 July 1998.
  6. Corporate Europe Observatory, Part One: The European Policy Centre European Think Tank Series, Issue 2, October 1998,
  7. EPC The EPC Last Accessed July 2007
  8. Anderson & Baumberg, Alcohol Policy: Who should sit at the table? Addiction Volume 102, No. 2 pp 335-336 (online subscription required)