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|headquarters = [[London]], [[United Kingdom]]
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|website = [http://www.openeurope.org.uk/ www.openeurope.org.uk.]
|website = [http://www.openeurope.org.uk/ www.openeurope.org.uk.]

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Revision as of 21:53, 21 January 2014

Open Europe
HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
Websitewww.openeurope.org.uk.

Open Europe is an influential[1] think tank with offices in London and Brussels and an independent partner organization in Berlin, promoting ideas for economic and political reform of the European Union. The think-tank is a leading proponent of a flexible model for European integration, allowing for EU member states to integrate with each other to different degrees and for powers to also be returned from the EU to member states.[2] Open Europe is a keen advocate of an economically liberal EU Single Market as well as supportive of the EU's freedom of movement, but has called for less EU involvement in several other policy areas. Open Europe conducts detailed research, sends out a daily European press summary, compiled by a multilingual research team, regarded as a reference point for EU politics, is active on social media and in the UK and EU media. Open Europe was awarded international think tank of the year 2012 by Prospect Magazine.[1] Open Europe's Director is Mats Persson.

History

Open Europe was launched on 20 October 2005 in London.[3] Rodney Leach was the founding chairman.

Supporters

Activities

Open Europe regularly publishes original research[4] aimed at promoting new ideas among key EU policy makers, business people and academics.

Throughout the eurozone and European debt crises, Open Europe has produced ongoing research and commentary, including on the Greek, Irish and Portuguese bailuts and a number of briefings on the state of the Spanish economy.[5]

The think tank has published several studies on the impact of regulation, including a 2010 study analysing more than 2,000 Impact Assessments. It estimated that in 2009, EU regulation introduced since 1998 cost the UK economy £19.3 billion, accounting for 59% of the total cost of regulation in Britain in that year.[6] The study also estimated the cumulative cost of EU regulation since 1998 at £124 billion, 71% of the total cost.[7] The Charlemagne blog of The Economist magazine criticised the study, arguing that the findings were "tendentious".

Open Europe has published numerous studies on regulation of the financial markets. In 2009, the group published what was widely considered one of the first comprehensive impact assessments on the EU’s AIFM Directive on stricter regulation for hedge funds and private equity firms.[8][9][10]

In a 2008 assessment of the EU’s Climate Action and Renewable Energy Package, the group claimed that hitting the EU renewables target will cost UK families up to £730 a year.[11] It recommended that the EU instead adopted overall targets for cutting carbon emissions, but then allowed for each member state to meet these targets in whatever way it considered the most cost-effective.[12][13]

In 2005, Open Europe published a study claiming that trade liberalisation and reform of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy would boost EU GDP as a whole by over 2% - roughly equivalent to €200 billion.[14][15][16]

In 2007, research by Open Europe claimed that 96 percent of the text of the Lisbon Treaty is the same as the rejected European Constitution, based on a side-by-side comparison of the two texts.[17]

Over the years the organisation claims to have exposed numerous cases of EU waste and mismanagement involving EU subsidies, arguing strongly for wholesale reform of the EU’s Budget.[18][19]

Open Europe sends out a daily press summary, compiled by a multilingual research team, covering the key news from around Europe.[20] It has become regarded as a reference point for EU and eurozone politics [21][22]

Open Europe holds regular seminars and discussions on EU reform. Speakers at Open Europe events have included William Hague, David Lidington, Mark Hoban, Maroš Šefčovič, Alexandr Vondra, John Bruton, Carl Bildt, James Brokenshire, Gisela Stuart, Sir Stephen Wall, Alberto Alesina, Vincent Cable, Miguel Arias Cañete Otmar Issing, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, Lord Myners, Elmar Brok, Dr. Antonio Sáinz de Vicuña, Lord Trimble and Derk-Jan Eppink.[23]

The organisation has conducted extensive polling on EU-related issues, both at a national level and a pan-European level, including the first poll[24] on the future of the European Union to be carried out in all 27 EU member states.[25]

Open Europe works with the Fresh Start group of Conservative MPs researching ideas for EU reform.[26]

EU War Game

Open Europe organised the first ever public simulated negotiations over reform of the European Union, and the UK's relationship with it, a so-called wargame.

Open Europe War Game

Work for All Party Parliamentary Group for EU Reform

In the UK, Open Europe acts as the secetariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for EU Reform. Their work has included concluding a series of reports on EU subjects and the UK's relationship with the EU. Subjects include Financial Services,[27] Social and Employment law,[28] Agricultural Policy,[29] Immigration,[30] Trade,[31] the EU budget,[32] Criminal Justice[33] and Regional policy.[34]

Criticisms

The Irish government accused Open Europe of “meddling” in the Irish debate, claiming a poll of Irish voters showing they did not want to be made to vote a second time on the Lisbon Treaty was “biased”. Speaking during a debate with Open Europe’s Lorraine Mullally on Irish radio Newstalk, Europe Minister Dick Roche claimed the suggestion that Nicolas Sarkozy was reported to have said there should be a second referendum was “complete nonsense.” He denied there had been any discussion on a second referendum at that stage. However, a second referendum was held in the fall of 2009.

In 2005, Peter Mandelson attacked the group in an interview in The Guardian. He said that the real agenda of the group was “less integration, less strength embodied in our single market and fewer opportunities to build our economic strength.” He argued that “Those are the people who are most insidious since they maintain a pretence of being open to Europe but actually want to lead Britain away from and out of Europe.”[35] Open Europe, however, has openly stood up for the basic single market, as it defended the basic principle of free movement within the EU, when responding to the confusion about the link between EU law and the strikes at the Lindsey oil refinery in Lincolnshire in 2009.[36]

The UK Independence Party and some politicians who want Britain to leave the EU have criticised the think-tank for advocating an "à la carte approach [which] is not on offer".[37]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "The winners of Prospect's 2012 Think Tank of the Year Awards". Prospect. London. 11 July 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2012. {{cite news}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  2. ^ "Britain should pick-and-mix over Europe instead of apeing Norway". The Telegraph. London. 10 July 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2012. {{cite news}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  3. ^ "Open Europe's launch - 20 October 2005". Open Europe. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  4. ^ http://www.openeurope.org.uk/research/
  5. ^ "Open Europe Research - Monetary Union and the Euro". Openeurope.org.uk. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  6. ^ Groom, Brian (29 March 2010). "Tories' red tape aims miss target, says study". FT.com. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  7. ^ http://www.openeurope.org.uk/research/stilloutofcontrol.pdf
  8. ^ Jones, Sam (21 September 2009). "EU rules would see hedge funds go overseas". FT.com. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  9. ^ Cahill, Tom (20 September 2009). "Europe Fund Law 'To Cost $2.8 Billion' in Year One, Survey Says". Bloomber. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  10. ^ http://www.openeurope.org.uk/research/aifmd.pdf
  11. ^ http://www.openeurope.org.uk/media%2Dcentre/pressrelease.aspx?pressreleaseid=64
  12. ^ Walsh, Bryan (3 November 2008). "Will Green Progress Be Stalled by the Bad Economy?". Time. New York. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  13. ^ "EU's 'wasteful' climate package to cost €73 billion: lobby - News". Point Carbon. 12 October 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  14. ^ http://www.openeurope.org.uk/media-centre/pressrelease.aspx?pressreleaseid=4
  15. ^ http://www.openeurope.org.uk/research/report.pdf
  16. ^ http://www.openeurope.org.uk/research/reform.pdf
  17. ^ http://www.openeurope.org.uk/research/comparative.pdf
  18. ^ http://www.openeurope.org.uk/media-centre/pressrelease.aspx?pressreleaseid=151
  19. ^ Browne, Anthony (13 March 2007). "EU loophole allows city 'farmers' to reap millions in subsidy harvest". The Sunday Times. London. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  20. ^ "Daily Press Summary". Openeurope.org.uk. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  21. ^ "Twitter / afneil: Open Europe does excellent". Twitter.com. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  22. ^ "EUA tentative EU reading list". The Economist. London. 6 August 2010. Retrieved 27 July 2012. {{cite news}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  23. ^ http://openeurope.org.uk/events/
  24. ^ main findings of the poll. Note that no information is given on sample size or sampling methods.
  25. ^ Poll press release Note that no information is given on sample size or sampling methods.
  26. ^ "Pan-European Conference for EU Reform". Open Europe. 15 January 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  27. ^ "UK Government should use EU Treaty negotiations to secure "emergency brake" on financial laws". Open Europe. 5 December 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  28. ^ "New Open Europe report: Repatriating EU social policy for jobs and growth". Open Europe. 9 November 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  29. ^ "New Open Europe briefing: How to make the EU's farm policy work for jobs, growth and the environment". Open Europe. 27 February 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  30. ^ "New Open Europe report: Bad management by the UK Government and the European Commission risks undermining public support for EU free movement". Open Europe. 12 March 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  31. ^ "Leaving the EU would raise more questions than answers". Open Europe. 10 June 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  32. ^ Swidlicki, Pawel (2012). "Seizing the moment: Aligning the EU budget with Europe's economic needs" (PDF). Open Europe. Retrieved 21 January 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  33. ^ "How the Coalition can repatriate 130 EU crime and policing laws overnight". Open Europe. 29 January 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  34. ^ "New Open Europe briefing: Bringing EU regional policy back to the UK could save £4.2 billion". Open Europe. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  35. ^ Watt, Nicholas (17 March 2006). "New Labour will die if it is frozen in aspic". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
  36. ^ http://www.openeurope.org.uk/media-centre/pressrelease.aspx?pressreleaseid=100
  37. ^ Willoughby de Broke, Lord (13 July 2012). "EU on the menu". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 27 July 2012.

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