High-Level Advisory Group

The aspiration for the Conference on the Future of Europe is to be a stimulating new forum for open, inclusive and transparent debate with citizens. It is a pan-European democratic exercise, where citizens, politicians and representatives from civil society debate and develop ideas on the EU’s key priorities and challenges.

The Conference Observatory runs parallel to the Conference, monitoring, analysing and contributing to the debates. In addition to providing input, organising events and communicating around the issues, the Observatory runs an independent High-Level Advisory Group.

 The independent High-Level Advisory Group accompanies and seeks to shape the Conference process and outcomes, at different levels and phases. Throughout the Conference and especially in its final phase, the Group will make recommendations on the possible results and outcome of the Conference.

The High-Level Advisory Group brings together a small but diversified group of experts, policymakers and civil society actors, capable of generating new ideas with regard to the future of Europe, and communicating them effectively in the public debate. The group is jointly chaired by Herman Van Rompuy, President Emeritus of the European Council, and Brigid Laffan, Emeritus Professor at the European University Institute.

High-Level Advisory Group composition

Co-Chairs:

Herman VAN ROMPUY, President Emeritus, European Council; President, European Policy Centre (EPC)

Brigid LAFFAN, Emeritus Professor, Robert Schuman Centre, European University Institute

Participants:

Rosa BALFOUR, Director, Carnegie Europe

Sven BISCOP, Professor, University of Ghent; Director of Europe in the World, Egmont

Cathryn CLÜVER ASHBROOK, former Director and CEO, German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP)

Marian CRAMERS, Director of Development and Finance, Democratic Society

Catherine DAY, Chair, Irish Citizens’ Assembly; former Secretary-General, European Commission

Bastian DE MONTE, District Council, NEOS; Vice President, JUNOS

Janis A. EMMANOUILIDIS, Director of Studies and Deputy Chief Executive, European Policy Centre (EPC)

Julia FERNÁNDEZ ARRIBAS, President, Equipo Europa

Lykke FRIIS, Director, Think Tank Europa, former Danish Minister of Climate and Energy and Minister for Gender Equality

Dominik HIERLEMANN, Senior Expert, Bertelsmann Stiftung

Christophe HILLION, Professor of European law, University of Oslo; Research Professor, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs; Senior researcher, Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies

Rem KORTEWEG, Senior Researcher, Clingendael Institute

Ivan KRASTEV, Chairman, Centre for Liberal Strategies

Péter KRÉKO, Director, Political Capital

Milena LAZAREVIC, Programme Director, European Policy Centre (CEP Belgrade)

Viktória LILLA PATÓ, Junior Researcher, European Strategy Research Institute (EUSTRAT)

George PAGOULATOS, Director General, Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP)

Wojciech PRZYBYLSKI, Editor in Chief, Visegrad Insight

Kristi RAIK, Director of the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute, International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS)

Georg RIEKELES, Associate Director, European Policy Centre (EPC)

Marietje SCHAAKE, International Policy Director, Stanford University Cyber Policy Center; International Policy Fellow, Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence; former MEP

Prof. Dr. Daniela SCHWARZER, Executive Director for Europe and Eurasia, Open Society Foundations

Corina STRATULAT, Head of the European Politics and Institutions programme and Senior Policy Analyst, European Policy Centre (EPC)

Monika SUS, Senior Fellow, Hertie School; Associate Professor of Political Science, Polish Academy of Sciences

Pawel SWIEBODA, Director General, Human Brain Project; CEO, EBRAINS AISBL; former EU Advisor to the President of Poland 

Nathalie TOCCI, Director, Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI)

Georgina WRIGHT, Senior Fellow and Director of the Europe Programme, Institut Montaigne