Establishment of a European energy policy think-tank: necessity or luxury?

Abstract

A new research agenda and ground breaking approaches should be adopted in order to overcome energy system inertia and pass through the current carbon constrained economy to new prosperous and more sustainable energy development paths. The wide consensus of the energy sector community (business, academic, policy, etc.) is considered a necessity for the success of such a challenging undertake. In this respect, the creation and operation of a European strategic energy think-tank (EU-SENT²) could play a catalytic role. This paper following an overview of EU energy policy critical issues presents the principles of the EU-SENT² and compares four main think-tank typologies. The paper focuses on 'domains of think-tank's independence' – funding, agenda setting, ideology and research – on the mission and core values of a European energy think-tank. After discussing on the applicability of alternative typologies for a European energy think-tank, its management structure and basic principals and procedures are described.