Formation | 2005 |
---|---|
Legal status | Private company |
Purpose | Original research into the UK's relationship with the EU |
Headquarters | London, United Kingdom Brussels |
Directors
|
Raoul Ruparel and Stephen Booth |
Affiliations | Open Europe Berlin, |
Website | Open Europe |
Open Europe is a socially and economically liberal pan-European think tank and campaign group with offices in London and Brussels and an independent partner organisation in Berlin operated by staff from a number of EU states. The think-tank promotes retaining a close UK relationship with the EU, high levels of EU migration, as well as liberal economic and political reform of the remaining European Union.
The think-tank was set up in 2005 prior to the Lisbon Treaty by a group of British business to oppose further centralisation of power in the EU. It was a proponent of a flexible model for further 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. Open Europe is an advocate of a close UK relationship with an economically liberal EU Single Market. It has consistently advocated high levels of EU migration into the UK and strongly defends EU's freedom of movement. Although supporting the UK's EU membership it decided not to openly support David Cameron's campaign to stay in the EU adopting instead a neutral stance in the 2016 EU referendum in the UK.
Open Europe conducts research; organises events; sends out a daily European press summary compiled by a multilingual pan EU research team. It is active on social media.
Open Europe was awarded "International Think Tank of the Year 2012" by Prospect Magazine.
Open Europe was launched on 20 October 2005 by Rodney Leach in London by business people to oppose the return of the then EU Constitutional Treaty that became the Lisbon Treaty, Open Europe's stated aim was "to contribute positive new thinking to the debate about the future direction of the European Union". Rodney Leach and many of the founding supporters of Open Europe had previously backed the Business for Sterling campaign to stay out of the Euro. The think tank opposed the Lisbon Treaty and supported granting a referendum on the treaty thought its "I Want A Referendum" campaign.