EPICENTER
It is proposed that this article be deleted because of the following concern:
If you can address this concern by improving, copyediting, sourcing, renaming, or merging the page, please edit this page and do so. You may remove this message if you improve the article or otherwise object to deletion for any reason. Although not required, you are encouraged to explain why you object to the deletion, either in your edit summary or on the talk page. If this template is removed, do not replace it. The article may be deleted if this message remains in place for seven days, i.e., after 14:04, 29 August 2024 (UTC). Find sources: "EPICENTER" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR |
 | This article may contain excessive or inappropriate references to self-published sources. (August 2024) |
 | |
| Abbreviation | EPICENTER |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2014 |
| Type | Think tank |
| Headquarters | Brussels, Belgium |
Key people | Adam Bartha,[1] Director |
| Website | www.epicenternetwork.eu |
EPICENTER (European Policy Information Center) is an independent network comprising twelve free market think tanks from across Europe.[2] It was founded in 2014 by Christina Stewart-Lockhart,[3] comprising of six free market European think tanks.[4] The organization aims to promote the values of a free society and contribute to contemporary discussion of European policy. EPICENTER, like its members, identifies as a political independent and privately funded organization.[5]
Currently, it is composed of 12 “member” think tanks, who are directly affiliated with EPICENTER, and 16 “partner” think tanks, who identify with EPICENTER on a project-by-project collaborative basis.[6]
- Institute of Economic Affairs (UK)
- Timbro (Sweden)
- Fundación Civismo (Spain) - (Member until 2021)
- Institut Économique Molinari (France)
- Istituto Bruno Leoni (Italy)
- Lithuanian Free Market Institute (Lithuania)
- Civil Development Forum (Poland) - Joined 2017
- Center for Political Studies (Denmark) - Joined 2017
- KEFiM (Greece) - Joined 2018
- Prometheus (Germany) - Joined 2022
- Institute of Economic and Social Studies (Slovakia) - Joined 2022
- Institute for Market Studies (Bulgaria) - Joined 2024
- Fundación para el Avance de la Libertad (Spain) - Joined 2024
Publications
[edit]The Nanny State Index
[edit]The Nanny State Index (NSI), compiled by Chistopher Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, is a ranking that evaluates the “worst countries to drink, smoke, and vape in Europe,”,[10] measured by the level of governmental regulations (e.g., taxes and prohibition) on goods affected by sin taxes. Initiated in March 2016, it has been published biennially since 2017, gaining media attention from outlets such as The i and The Telegraph.[11][12]
Countries are scored out of 100 based on the amount of regulation on three categories of “alcohol, nicotine, and diet”, with the highest-scoring countries being designated as the most paternalistic.[13] As of the 2023 publication, Turkey, Norway and Lithuania are identified as being the most paternalistic in Europe, while Italy, Czechia and Germany are considered the least.[14]
Timbro Authoritarian Populism Index
[edit]Published by EPICENTER and its Swedish member think tank Timbro, authored by Andreas Johansson Heinö, the Timbro Authoritarian Populism Index (TAP) focuses on Europe-wide support for authoritarian and illiberal parties.[15][16] It aims to provide an understanding of political developments within a European context for national and contemporary events and elections.[17] As of 2024, four editions have been published.
The inaugural edition, published in 2016,[18] concluded that populism in Europe was on the rise, reflecting widely shared public attitudes. This trend continued, as reported in the 2017[19] and 2019[20] editions. The 2024 publication noted that support for populist parties remained significant but had levelled out compared to previous years.[21] Right-wing populism in particular saw the most growth in support, whereas left-wing populism has seen an overall decline.[22] Recent polls also suggested that support for liberal parties simultaneously went up, albeit by lower levels, potentially as a countermeasure to the growing influence of populist parties.[23]
This edition also introduced country profiles, ranking countries based on the level of domestic support for populist parties; Hungary, Italy, and France topped the list, while Malta, the United Kingdom, and Portugal were among the countries deemed as having the least support for populism.[24]
Q.E.D. Evidence Based Policymaking
[edit]In 2024, EPICENTER released “Q.E.D. Why Politicians Need an Evidence-based Approach to Policy Problems,” a publication critiquing what it describes as a lack of evidence-based policy in various European policy domains.[25] The publication is divided into four chapters, each focusing on energy, health, pensions, and agriculture.[26] It also comments on the state of the EU's innovation, suggesting that it is being outpaced by countries such as the United States and China due to differences in business dynamics and regulations.[27]
For example, in the case of drugs, it suggests revising legal frameworks to clearly define light drugs, separate users from traffickers, consider decriminalization for simple users, and provide better support for addicts, amongst other preventative measures.[28]
The publication received media attention, covered by major European newspapers such as Le Figaro and L'Express.[29][30]
Market Force
[edit]Following the 20th anniversary of the introduction of the European Single Market, EPICENTER published “Market Force: Revitalising the Single Market for the next 30 years,” discussing the role of the EU Single Market in promoting economic growth across all EU countries, particularly Central and Eastern European countries.[31] As described by the Brussels Report, it is critical of what it views as inconsistent EU legislation and overly regulatory measures in contributing to the European economic state.[32] Its final part acts as a projection for the Single Market in the next 30 years, recommending a liberalization of labor and service markets, reversing digital sector regulations and prioritizing legislation to enhance the Single Market.[33]
This was further advertised through the 2024 Free Market Road Show, a multi-country series of events discussing economic strategies, individual freedom, and sustainable development from a free market perspective headed by the Austrian Economics Center[34] and supported by EPICENTER.[35] Events were held across Europe and the United States,[36] with various prominent figures coming in to speak, such as Prince Michael of House of Liechtenstein,[37] British Conservative MP Robert Jenrick,[38] and Slovakian Deputy Prime Minister Denisa Saková.[39]
References
[edit]- ^ "List of staff". EPICENTER.
- ^ "About Us". EPICENTER.
- ^ "Board Members". EISA.
- ^ "EUROPEAN THINK TANKS LAUNCH EPICENTER TO ADDRESS KEY EU ISSUES". Atlas Network.
- ^ "LobbyFacts - Epicenter". LobbyFacts.
- ^ "EPICENTER Members". EPICENTER.
- ^ "Founding Members - EPICENTER".
- ^ "EPICENTER Membership Expansion".
- ^ "EPICENTER New Members". LinkedIn.
- ^ "Nanny State Index".
- ^ "How UK vaping laws compare with the rest of the world". The i.
- ^ "Britain is near top of league of Europe's worst nanny states". The Daily Telegraph.
- ^ "Discover the Best and Worst European Countries for Eating, Drinking, Smoking, and Vaping through the Newly Released Nanny State Index 2023". Austrian Center.
- ^ "Nanny State Index 2023 Rankings". NSI.
- ^ "Prečo Strana európskych socialistov pozastavila členstvo Smeru a prečo to nie je zanedbateľná udalosť". Komentare.
- ^ "Timbro Index documents rose of authoritarian populism in Europe". Atlas Network.
- ^ "Publication Launch: Timbro Authoritarian Populism Index". Euractiv.
- ^ "TIMBRO AUTHORITARIAN POPULISM INDEX 2016" (PDF). Timbro.
- ^ "TAP Index 2017" (PDF). Timbro.
- ^ "TAP Index 2019". Timbro.
- ^ "TAP Index 2024" (PDF). EPICENTER.
- ^ "Podpora autoritárskych strán dosahuje v Európe rekordne najvyššiu úroveň". EMEFKA.
- ^ "POPULIZM kochani. Wystarczy wam pomachać przed nosem pieniędzmi sąsiada i pędzicie na wybory". Bezprawnik.
- ^ "TAP Index Country Rankings". Populism Index.
- ^ "Evidence Based Policymaking" (PDF). EPICENTER.
- ^ "Γιατί οι πολιτικοί χρειάζονται μια τεκμηριωμένη προσέγγιση στα προβλήματα". Liberal.
- ^ "Q.E.D. Evidence Based Policymaking" (PDF). EPICENTER.
- ^ "Ναρκωτικά: Βαριές οι επιπτώσεις του ισχύοντος πλαισίου στην Ελλάδα -Τι δείχνει νέα μελέτη". Iefimerida.
- ^ "Retraites: la capitalisation, un moyen de bonifier les pensions sous-utilisé en France". Le Figaro.
- ^ "Pisa : derrière l'inefficience française, un surcoût de 16 milliards d'euros". L'Express.
- ^ "LinkedIn post of EPICENTER". LinkedIn.
- ^ "To restore European competitiveness, the EU needs no new powers". Brussels Report.
- ^ "Market Force" (PDF).
- ^ "Free Market Road Show".
- ^ "European Single Market – How to Move Forward? Free Market Road Show 2024". 4liberty.
- ^ "Free Market Road Show Tour".
- ^ "Warsaw FMRS".
- ^ "FMRS London".
- ^ "FMRS Bratislava".
 | This article has not been added to any content categories. Please help out by adding categories to it so that it can be listed with similar articles. (August 2024) |