It’s not too late to think about a future in which the Old World could once again become an impetus and driver for growth. All we have to do is remove our blinders and try to imagine the road of tomorrow for Europe. This is the challenge facing the Observatory on Europe, a permanent think tank that takes its findings all the way to Brussels.
The Observatory on Europe is the think tank of The European House – Ambrosetti dedicated to the issues of the competitiveness and integration of the European Union.
Mission
The goal of the Observatory on Europe is to make a tangible contribution to the success of the European Union by providing its political and economic leaders, as well as the general public and business, high-quality studies, analysis and innovative proposals to build a stronger Europe from an economic, social and political point-of-view.
Working method
Each year, certain specific issues are identified and examined that pertain to the areas of greatest importance for the growth and development of the European Union (in 2015, for example, the theme was digitalization) and the gaps and delays that impede the full completion of a European single market are analyzed. During the year, the Board meets a number of times to examine these issues from different points of view. The fruit of this process is a final report that offers the results of the research and a series of policy proposals the think tank makes available to major European institutions and the international community.
The Brussels Forum
The report is presented during an annual forum in Brussels before an audience of over one hundred guests that includes top managers and members of European institutions including the European Commission and Parliament, and academics. Taking part in the Forum are renowned international speakers who are experts in the issues covered in the report, as well as European Commissioners currently in office.
Europe close-up
The Observatory on Europe has also developed a quantitative method, updated annually, that measures the “state of health” of the European continent:
- EU-28 Competitiveness Index: used to measure the competitiveness of Europe and its 28 Member States. A composite index that examines ten factors of competitiveness (openness towards the rest of the world, innovation and education, macroeconomic stability, business conditions, the job market, social well-being, finance, efficiency of the Public Administration, environmental protection, and networks and infrastructure) and provides a comparison between Countries and a complete picture for each of them;
- EU Speedometer: a speedometer that measures how fast each Member State in the EU is meeting the 2020 goals set by the EU;
- European Business Leaders Survey: a survey undertaken among top managers of leading European companies to gather their perceptions of the business world in terms of the priorities for growth and the development of the EU and integration of the internal market.
Emiliano Briante
Business and Policy Impact
emiliano.briante@ambrosetti.eu