Dear members, dear partners, dear friends,
As 2021 draws to a close, I hope you all can look forward to a well-deserved break over the holiday season. I want to express my sincerest gratitude for your unwavering support and trust during these trying times.
Despite the ongoing challenges posed by COVID-19, the European Policy Centre can look back on another successful year. With 240 events and over 100 publications, we covered a wide range of topics: from the EU recovery plan, the German elections and what the departure of Merkel means for the future of the Union, to ways to tackle disinformation on migration.
We also presented ideas on how the twin digital and green transitions can go hand in hand to ensure a fairer and more just European society in the future, advocated the importance of EU health policies and launched not one but two major projects to monitor and advise the Conference on the Future of Europe. And with guests such as Fiona Hill, Margaret MacMillan and Cecilia Malmström, our new event format EPC Talks Geopolitics, where we invite politicians and foreign policy experts at the top of their field, proved to be a great success.
Because the future development of the pandemic is currently uncertain, we will continue our activities online in 2022. But I very much hope that we will be able to see each other again in person at some point in the new year. Regardless of what the next few months will bring, 2022 will be a year of celebration at the EPC, as we will be commemorating our 25th anniversary. It will be an occasion to reflect on what we have achieved so far and what still lies in store.
Planning for the festivities is already underway, so keep an eye out for more news very soon.
Besides our jubilee celebrations, we will continue to work hard to bring you in-depth analysis and concrete policy recommendations on key issues. The French Council Presidency, rethinking the EU’s economic governance framework and realising the ambitions of the EU Green Deal will be at the top of our agenda, alongside the conclusion of the Conference on the Future of Europe and Europe's evolving role in health.
As an organisation, we are keenly aware that the 'new normal' means preparing for the unpredictable. We firmly believe in the value of both competition and collaboration as a means to innovate. That is why we look forward to increasing our cooperation with other think tanks across Europe and beyond. In the new year, we also plan to expand the EPC team further and invest significantly in our IT infrastructure and the latest technologies that will allow us to organise high-quality hybrid events.
All of this makes me confident about the prospects for EPC in 2022. On behalf of the Governing Board and all of the staff at EPC, I wish you a happy Christmas and a prosperous and, above all, healthy New Year.
Sincerely,
Fabian Zuleeg
Chief Executive