Inspire, Debate, Engage and Accelerate Action

IDEA is composed of a professional staff of advisers, policy analysts and support staff in order to provide ideas and inspiration for the core priorities of the President; debate and engage around new evidence-based policy alternatives in the community of think tanks, research, and other institutions through active outreach; and accelerate the conversion of these ideas and engagements into concrete and bold action to help the EU Commission deliver to its citizens in a fast-changing context.

The Centre has a head ranked as a Director General designated by the President.

[1] The origins of what is today known as IDEA go back to 1989, when the Forward Studies Unit was established by the European Commission as a small 'think tank' staffed with EU officials reporting directly to President Jacques Delors.

The Unit's primary task was to monitor and evaluate European integration by studying long-term prospects and structural tendencies, basing itself particularly on a network of external contacts with research institutes specialised in long-term forecasting and planning.

In May 2000, Romano Prodi changed the Forward Studies Unit into the Group of Policy Advisers (GOPA) and entrusted it with four specific domains: economics, social affairs, foreign affairs, and dialogue with religions.