Bruegel

Think tank, Big tech/lobbyist

Bruegel  link () Lobbypedia Powerbase Sourcewatch Website
Formation	2005
Headquarters	Brussels, Belgium
Staff	30
Sponsor of	GLOBSEC
Membership	Irene Bertschek, Agnès Bénassy-Quéré, Olivier Blanchard, Markus Brunnermeier, Elena Carletti, Wendy Carlin, Paula Conthe, Frank Dangeard, Alexandra Dimitrijevic, Natalia Fabra, David Vegara Figueras , Jason Furman, Caroline de Gruyter, Riccardo Barbieri Hermitte, Bernard Hoekman, Beata Javorcik, Caio Koch-Wese, Jörg Kukies, Isabelle Mateos y Lago, Klaus Mangold, Monika Marcinkowska, Simone Mori, Jim O'Neill, Jean Pisani-Ferry, Peter Praet, Tom Scholar, György Surányi, Laura D'Andrea Tyson, Helen Wallace, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, , Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Irish Central Bank, Banca d'Italia, Luxembourg Central Bank, Bank of England, Banque de France, Suomen Panki, Danmarks Nationalbank, De Nederlandsche Bank, EBRD, European Investment Bank, Instituto de Crédito Oficial, Grouype Caissede Dépôts, Oesterreichische Nationalbank, Sveriges Riksbank, A2A, Accenture, Amazon, Apple, BBVA, Blackrock, Breakthrough Energy, Brevan Howard, Citadel, EDF, Enel, Engie, Eni, E-on, Fortescue Future Industries, Fortum, Generali, Google, HSBC, Huawei, Iberdrola, Inditex, ING, Mastercard, McKinsey, Mediatek, Meta, Microsoft, Millenium, Moody's, Morgan Stanley, Nvidia, PGE, PosteItaliane, PPC, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Rokos Capital Management, Société Générale, S&P Global, Temasek, Terna Driving Energy, UniCredit Group, Urenco,
EU-aligned think tank that is accused of lobbying for technocratic big tech venture corporations.

Bruegel (Brussels European and Global Economic Laboratory) is a think tank supported by large corporations as well as by governments and central banks of several EU countries. Bruegel develops concepts for especially European - but also global - economic policy. The participation in Bruegel also offers the participating "stakeholders" the opportunity to informally influence government representatives in their own interests, shaping the framework conditions for powerful corporations.

History

The idea to set up an European think tank devoted to international economics stemmed from private discussions involving policymakers, business leaders and other individuals from several European countries in late 2002. The idea was endorsed and officially floated by France and Germany in their joint declaration in Paris on January 22nd, 2003. The initiative subsequently found support from 12 EU governments and 17 leading European corporations, who committed the project's initial funding base.

Research

Research areas included topics such as

• How to decarbonise the global south (2023-24)
• The consequences of Ukraine's accession to the EU (2023-24)
• Creating functioning global carbon markets (2025-26)
• Regulatory reform for a more dynamic single market (2025-26)
• A single market for the defence industry (2024-25)

Lobbying strategies and influence

Bruegel is one of the most influential think tanks in the world. The 2020 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report, published by the University of Pennsylvania, ranked Bruegel as:

• #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)

People

• Chair of the Board: Mario Monti (2005-2008), Leszek Balcerowicz (2008-2012), Jean-Claude Trichet (2012-2021), Erkki Liikanen (since 2021)
• Director: Jean Pisani-Ferry (2005-2013), Guntram Wolff (2013-2022), Jeromin Zettelmeyer (since 2022)
• Deputy Director: Guntram Wolff (2011-2013), Maria Demertzis (2016-2022)

Board membership as of June 2024 Erkki Liikanen (chair), Riccardo Barbieri Hermitte, Agnès Bénassy-Quéré, Markus Brunnermeier, Paula Conth, Alexandra Dimitrijevic, Caroline de Gruyter, Monika Marcinkowska, Isabelle Mateos y Lago, Simone Mori, and Tom Scholar. The list (at the right) includes some earlier board members and its "scientific council".

Corporate members

Members as of December 2025, including funding countries, central banks and corporations

Name

The name Bruegel was as a tribute to the Flemish painter Pieter Brueger the elder (1525-1569), known for his paintings such as The Triumph of Death, where Death leads his armies from his reddish horse, destroying the world of the living.