Mission

The European Centre for International Affairs (ECIA) is a Brussels-based independent, non-profit, policy think tank. Our core mission is to provide innovative analyses of global issues from a European perspective.

Policymakers today are faced with the challenge of a complex and globalised politics in which resource, human and societal issues are inextricable. ECIA’s work is built on the belief that meeting these challenges sustainably in the long run requires reconciling Europe’s interests with its values.

Our job is to provide policymakers with support in searching for, and evaluating viable alternatives capable of striking this balance. To do this, the Centre:

• provides in-depth and innovative analysis of long-run trends;
• supplies early warnings of emerging critical issues;
• produces new strategic thinking and practical advice.

Organisation

The quality and credibility of the Centre are ensured by a highly prestigious Council. The Council is composed of distinguished leaders representing academic, public and professional sectors, providing operational advice to the ECIA Staff and serving as informal ambassadors of the Centre in their home countries.

The Center’s Staff  is composed by a highly qualified network of residential and non-residential Senior Fellows, Associate Fellows, Fellows, Researchers and Executives who are developing research projects concerning ECIA main fields of interest.

ECIA staff frequently publish opinion and analysis pieces beyond the in-depth analysis provided by the Centre itself. Find out more about the articles published by the Centre’s experts in academic and other specialist outlets.

ECIA have become a point of reference in the media landscape. The Centre strongly believes in engaging in public debate as well as direct dialogue with policymakers and academic experts. Find out more about articles and interviews with ECIA staff published in national and international media and about our Op-Eds.

Our staff regularly engages with the policy and academic communities, and engages in a number of outreach events such as public lectures. Find out about the latest events ECIA experts have been invited to.

Furthermore, ECIA co-operates with other institutes and centres, offering a platform for presenting new ideas, researches and analysis.

ECIA Thematic Research Clusters

The Centre’s core mission is to produce innovative analyses of global issues from a European perspective, helping policymakers in the process of finding long-term, sustainable solutions which reconcile key strategic interests with Europe’s fundamental values.

Our research is divided into geographical teams to ensure we always maintain a holistic perspective, and organised along three thematic clusters:

• Resources

  Resources, from energy to the environment, are inescapable dimensions of contemporary global politics. On them, their sustainable development, management and distribution depends the wealth of any nation.

• People

  Social and material processes do not occur in isolation: they have often dramatic effects on people whether as individuals or as populations, who develop and change, come under a variety of threats, and seek a wide range of opportunities.

• Societies

  Societies are sometimes faced with sudden shocks, sometimes with long-running conflict and simmering disputes, but always with the challenge of proactively responding to change. ECIA research analyses the interrelation between the risks they are exposed to, the degree of cohesion and marginalisation within them, and the resilience they can rely on in meeting both internal and external challenges.

Our groups working on specific projects are then divided into geographical teams to maintain a holistic perspective, and by thematic focus, primarily articulated around three cross-cutting themes:

• Sustainability
• Governance
• Globalisation.