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Bruegel is a
think tank A think tank, or public policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governme ...
devoted to policy research on economic issues. Based in
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
, it launched its operations in 2005 and currently conducts research in five different focus areas with the aim of improving economic debate and policy-making. Bruegel was recognised as the best
international economics International economics is concerned with the effects upon economic activity from international differences in productive resources and consumer preferences and the international institutions that affect them. It seeks to explain the patterns an ...
think tank worldwide (non-US) and the second best think tank worldwide (US and non-US), according to the 2020 Global Go To Think Tank Report. It has a governance and funding model based on memberships from
Member States of the European Union The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are party to the EU's founding treaties, and thereby subject to the privileges and obligations of membership. They have agreed by the treaties to share their o ...
, international corporations, and other institutions.


History

Bruegel's name is a reference to Pieter Bruegel, the 16th-century painter whose work epitomises unvarnished and innovative depictions of life in Europe. It also stands for the "Brussels European and Global Economic Laboratory", even though Bruegel does not consider its name to be an
acronym An acronym is a type of abbreviation consisting of a phrase whose only pronounced elements are the initial letters or initial sounds of words inside that phrase. Acronyms are often spelled with the initial Letter (alphabet), letter of each wor ...
. The think tank was initially co-founded by the economists
Jean Pisani-Ferry Jean Pisani-Ferry (born July 28, 1951) is a French economist and public policy expert. He is a fellow at think tanks Bruegel in Brussels and the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, D.C. He is also a senior professor in ...
and Nicolas Véron in 2002. It was officially endorsed by former French President
Jacques Chirac Jacques René Chirac (, ; ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and 1986 to 1988, as well as Mayor of Pari ...
and German Chancellor
Gerhard Schröder Gerhard Fritz Kurt Schröder (; born 7 April 1944) is a German former politician and Lobbying, lobbyist who served as Chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005. From 1999 to 2004, he was also the Leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (S ...
at the 40th anniversary of the Elysée Treaty in January 2003. Former European Commissioner
Mario Monti Mario Monti (; born 19 March 1943) is an Italian politician, economist and academic who served as the Prime Minister of Italy from 2011 to 2013, leading a Technocratic government (Italy), technocratic government in the wake of the European sov ...
was instrumental in Bruegel's creation and became its first chairman in early 2005, following the think tank's legal creation as an International Non-Profit Association under Belgian law and its first board election in 2004. The board was successively chaired by
Mario Monti Mario Monti (; born 19 March 1943) is an Italian politician, economist and academic who served as the Prime Minister of Italy from 2011 to 2013, leading a Technocratic government (Italy), technocratic government in the wake of the European sov ...
(2005–08),
Leszek Balcerowicz Leszek Henryk Balcerowicz (pronounced ; born 19 January 1947) is a Polish economist, statesman, and Professor at Warsaw School of Economics. He served as Chairman of the National Bank of Poland (2001–2007) and twice as Deputy Prime Minister of ...
(2008–12), Jean Claude Trichet (2012–2020) and
Erkki Liikanen Erkki Antero Liikanen (born 19 September 1950) is a Finnish social democratic politician and a former Governor of the Bank of Finland. Early life and education Erkki Antero Liikanen obtained a bachelor’s degree in Political Science (Economic ...
(2020–present).
Jean Pisani-Ferry Jean Pisani-Ferry (born July 28, 1951) is a French economist and public policy expert. He is a fellow at think tanks Bruegel in Brussels and the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, D.C. He is also a senior professor in ...
was Bruegel's director from January 2005 to April 2013 before being succeeded in his role by
Guntram Wolff Guntram Wolff is a European public policy scholar. As of September 2024, he is professor of economics at Université Libre de Bruxelles (Solvay Brussels SchoolECARES, senior fellow at Bruegel, and senior fellow at the Kiel Institute for the World ...
. Jeromin Zettelmeyer became the new director of Bruegel in September 2022. Bruegel moved to its current premises, on Rue de la Charité/Liefdadigheidsstraat 33 in central
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
, in April 2005.


Research programme

Bruegel's research is divided into five broad research areas: Banking and capital markets, Digital economy, labour markets, skills and health, Global economy and trade policy, Energy and climate policy, and Macroeconomic policy and governance. The research programme is reviewed every three years while the research priorities are developed on a yearly basis in the autumn by the board after discussions with Bruegel scholars, members and other stakeholders.


Publications and events

Bruegel's scholars regularly publish their research on Bruegel's website. In 2023, the lively Bruegel
blog
format was retired, and it was upgraded to become the new Analysis section. Bruegel also releases more in-depth research in the form of policy briefs, working papers, essays and blueprints. Bruegel fellows have presented research testimonies at the European Parliament, the US Congress and various national parliaments. Bruegel also introduced a new First Glance section, where researchers can write real-time insights into emerging economic issues. Bruegel also hosts events which gather experts, the public and various stakeholders for in-depth discussion on a range of policy issues. The events are often livestreamed with the video and audio recordings on Bruegel's website. In 2023, Bruegel hosted 81 events throughout the year and released 53 episodes of the podcast "The Sound of Economics", which amassed 181,910 listens across all platforms. This is in addition to publishing 56 Long reads (2 books, 1 essay, 21 working papers, 22 policy briefs, 10 reports for the European Parliament), 86 Short reads (36 Analyses, 8 Blog posts, 42 First glances) and 15 Datasets.


Governance and funding

Bruegel is a non-profit international association under Belgian law (AISBL), governed by its statutes and its bylaws. Bruegel's highest decision making forum is the General Assembly consisting of Bruegel's members. It ratifies the board and elects six of its members directly. The board decides on strategy, adopts the research programme and budget and appoints the director and the deputy director each for a period of three years renewable twice. Bruegel's board is elected for a three-year term by its members and consists of 11 individuals with backgrounds in government, business, academia and civil society. As of June 2024, its members were
Erkki Liikanen Erkki Antero Liikanen (born 19 September 1950) is a Finnish social democratic politician and a former Governor of the Bank of Finland. Early life and education Erkki Antero Liikanen obtained a bachelor’s degree in Political Science (Economic ...
(chairman), Riccardo Barbieri Hermitte, Agnès Bénassy-Quéré, Markus K. Brunnermeier, Paula Conthe, Alexandra Dimitrijevic, Caroline de Gruyter, Monika Marcinkowska, Isabelle Mateos y Lago, Simone Mori and Tom Scholar. The board decides on Bruegel's research agenda, a process that is conducted on a yearly basis and includes in-depth consultation of all members. It also appoints the director and deputy director, and oversees Bruegel's financial management and budget. However, under Bruegel's statute and bylaws, neither the board nor the members can interfere in research results and publication decisions‚ the responsibility for which remains with the director and individual scholars. Bruegel's former chairs
Leszek Balcerowicz Leszek Henryk Balcerowicz (pronounced ; born 19 January 1947) is a Polish economist, statesman, and Professor at Warsaw School of Economics. He served as Chairman of the National Bank of Poland (2001–2007) and twice as Deputy Prime Minister of ...
and Jean Claude Trichet are honorary chairmen of Bruegel.
Mario Monti Mario Monti (; born 19 March 1943) is an Italian politician, economist and academic who served as the Prime Minister of Italy from 2011 to 2013, leading a Technocratic government (Italy), technocratic government in the wake of the European sov ...
is the founding chairman of Bruegel. The director – currently Jeromin Zettelmeyer – is responsible for the executive management of Bruegel, with the assistance of a management team which as of 2024 included Stephane Asse'e, Emanuela Dimonte, Katja Knežević and Scarlett Varga. They organise the board meetings, as well as preparing the research programme, the annual work plan, budget and the annual report. They then present them to the board. The director (and deputy director when that position is activated) are responsible for the editorial direction of the think tank and they exercise editorial oversight of publications and control the quality of output. Bruegel takes no institutional standpoint and publications reflect the views of the authors only. Bruegel's Scientific Council advises on research and provides regular academic appraisals of published papers. Bruegel is supported by a wide array of members which contribute the bulk of its financial resources. The majority of its resources comes from state and corporate members. As of June 2024, Bruegel's membership consisted of three categories. State members are
Member States of the European Union The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are party to the EU's founding treaties, and thereby subject to the privileges and obligations of membership. They have agreed by the treaties to share their o ...
, which join on a voluntary basis, including Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and The Netherlands. The
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
also holds membership. Corporate members are international corporations and firms, many of which are headquartered in the European Union. Institutional members include national and international public financial institutions as well as
central bank A central bank, reserve bank, national bank, or monetary authority is an institution that manages the monetary policy of a country or monetary union. In contrast to a commercial bank, a central bank possesses a monopoly on increasing the mo ...
s.


Notable scholars

As of April 2025, Bruegel's director was Jeromin Zettelmeyer leading a team of 55 fellows, including: *
Suman Bery Suman Bery is an Indian economist, academic, and writer who is the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog. After serving at the World Bank for 28 years, Bery served as the Chief Economist of Oil and Gas supermajor Royal Dutch Shell, based in The Hague, Net ...
, non-resident fellow (on leave for public service) * , non-resident fellow * Uri Dadush, non-resident fellow * , non-resident fellow * Alicia García-Herrero, senior fellow * Heather Grabbe, senior fellow * Pablo Hernández de Cos, non-resident fellow * , non-resident fellow (on leave for public service) * Annamaria Lusardi, non-resident fellow * , non-resident fellow * Jonathan D. Ostry, non-resident fellow *
Jean Pisani-Ferry Jean Pisani-Ferry (born July 28, 1951) is a French economist and public policy expert. He is a fellow at think tanks Bruegel in Brussels and the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, D.C. He is also a senior professor in ...
, senior fellow (director 2005-2013) * Lucrezia Reichlin, non-resident fellow * Elina Ribakova, non-resident fellow * , non-resident fellow *
André Sapir André Sapir is a Belgian economist and professor at the Solvay Brussels School of Economics & Management (Université libre de Bruxelles). He is also a senior fellow at Bruegel, the Brussels-based think tank. Professional career Sapir holds ...
, senior fellow * Fiona Scott Morton, senior fellow * , non-resident fellow * Nicolas Véron, senior fellow * Reinhilde Veugelers, senior fellow * , non-resident fellow *
Guntram Wolff Guntram Wolff is a European public policy scholar. As of September 2024, he is professor of economics at Université Libre de Bruxelles (Solvay Brussels SchoolECARES, senior fellow at Bruegel, and senior fellow at the Kiel Institute for the World ...
, senior fellow


Awards and recognition

In 2012, the
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...
ranked Bruegel 8th out of 600 different think tanks in a report called "The Global Go To Think Tanks Rankings and associated trends report"
Transparify Transparify is an initiative that provides a global rating of the financial transparency of major think tanks. It rates the extent to which think tanks publicly disclose their sources of funding, the amount of funding they have received, and the s ...
has repeatedly awarded Bruegel five stars out of five for transparency, including in 2018. ''
Prospect Magazine ''Prospect'' is a monthly British general-interest magazine, specialising in politics, economics and current affairs. Topics covered include British and other European, as well as US politics, social issues, art, literature, cinema, science, th ...
'' Awarded Bruegel the European Economic Think Tank of the Year in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019. The 2020 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report, published by the
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...
, ranked Bruegel as such: * #1 Top Think Tanks in Western Europe * #1 Top International Economics Policy Think Tanks * #2 Top Think Tanks Worldwide (US and Non-US)   * #2 Think Tanks with Outstanding Policy-Oriented Research Programs   * #2 Best Quality Assurance and Integrity Policies and Procedures * #2 Best Institutional Collaboration Involving Two or More Think Tanks * #4 Think Tanks with the Most Significant Impact on Public Policy * #5 Best Managed Think Tanks * #5 Think Tanks with the Best Use of the Internet * #5 Best Use of Media (Print or Electronic)


Operations

Bruegel's research team is composed of senior fellows, non-resident fellows, research fellows and affiliate fellows as well as a team or research assistants. Bruegel's professional staff is responsible for the organisation's outreach, developing stakeholder relationships and ensuring smooth day-to-day operations.


Evaluation

Bruegel regularly asks an ad hoc task force to review the impact and relevance of its work. The most recent analysis was conducted in 2022 and was co-chaired by
Peter Praet Peter Praet (born 20 January 1949 in Herchen near Eitorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Allied-occupied Germany) is a Belgian economist who served as a member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank from 2011 to 2019 and concurrently as E ...
and Elsa Fornero. This and previous reports have been posted online by Bruegel. The scientific assessment component of such reviews is provided by Bruegel's scientific council composed of eight individuals and chaired by Arnoud Boot.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bruegel (Institution) European integration think tanks 2005 establishments in Belgium Think tanks established in 2005 Political and economic think tanks based in Europe Think tanks based in Belgium Pieter Bruegel the Elder