CEPREMAP

CEPREMAP
Name	CEPREMAP
Formation	1998
Type	Think tank
Headquarters	Paris, France
Leader title	Director

CEPREMAP

CEPREMAP is a Paris-based policy research center focused on public policy, economic analysis, and social science research. It conducts quantitative and qualitative studies relevant to policy debates in France and the European Union, collaborates with academic institutions and public agencies, and disseminates findings to practitioners, legislators, and the media. CEPREMAP’s work has been cited in parliamentary hearings, media outlets, and by international organizations.

Overview

CEPREMAP operates at the intersection of applied economics, public policy, and social science. It produces working papers, policy briefs, and datasets that inform debates in the French National Assembly, Senate of France, European Commission, and among stakeholders such as Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank. The center maintains partnerships with universities including Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Sciences Po, École normale supérieure, and research organizations such as CNRS and INSEE. CEPREMAP’s audience includes ministers, parliamentary staff, civil servants from Ministry of Economy and Finance (France), journalists from outlets like Le Monde, France Info, and policy analysts at think tanks such as Bruegel and Chatham House.

History and Founding

CEPREMAP was founded in 1998 amid a wave of independent policy institutes emerging in Europe during the late 1990s, a period that also saw institutional developments at European Central Bank and debates in the run-up to the Maastricht Treaty implementation. Founders included academics and civil servants with backgrounds linked to École Polytechnique, HEC Paris, and governmental agencies including Ministry of Labour (France) and INSEE. During its early years CEPREMAP engaged with issues raised by the 1997 French legislative election aftermath and the introduction of the Eurozone policies, positioning itself as a bridge between scholarly research and practical policymaking. Over subsequent decades CEPREMAP expanded networks with European partners such as Centre for European Policy Studies and researchers from London School of Economics, while participating in policy forums hosted by institutions like European Parliament committees and Council of the European Union working groups.

Research and Publications

CEPREMAP’s research spans labor markets, taxation, social protection, public finance, and regulatory policy. It publishes working papers, policy notes, and data compilations that have been cited in reports by OECD and the European Commission. Key outputs include empirical analyses drawing on surveys such as the Enquête Emploi and administrative datasets similar to those used by Direction de la Recherche, des Études, de l'Évaluation et des Statistiques. Researchers affiliated with CEPREMAP have coauthored articles in journals like Revue économique, Econometrica, and Journal of Public Economics, and presented findings at conferences organized by American Economic Association, European Economic Association, and CESifo. CEPREMAP’s policy briefs have been referenced in legislative debates concerning reforms influenced by frameworks from the Lisbon Strategy and later the Europe 2020 agenda.

Programs and Initiatives

CEPREMAP runs programs that train junior researchers, host seminars, and coordinate multi-institutional projects. It organizes seminar series in partnership with Sciences Po, guest lectures featuring scholars from Harvard University, University of Chicago, Oxford University, and workshops involving policy officials from Ministry of Labour (France) and Ministry of Solidarity and Health (France). Initiatives include collaborative projects on unemployment dynamics using models akin to those developed at National Bureau of Economic Research and policy simulations that draw on microsimulation tools used by Institute for Fiscal Studies. CEPREMAP also contributes to public debates through roundtables with representatives from Confédération Française de l'Encadrement, MEDEF, and civil society organizations such as Secours Catholique.

Organization and Funding

CEPREMAP’s governance typically combines academic directors, an advisory board with members from universities and public institutions, and a small staff of research fellows and project managers. Funding sources include grants and contracts from national ministries such as Ministry of Economy and Finance (France), competitive research grants from the European Research Council, project funding from foundations including Fondation de France and private contributions from corporate sponsors and philanthropic entities. CEPREMAP may also receive commissioned studies from agencies like DREES and participate in European research consortia funded under Horizon 2020. Its financial model balances publicly funded research, commissioned policy evaluations, and collaborative grants with universities and international organizations.

Impact and Reception

CEPREMAP’s work has influenced policy discussions on topics such as employment regulation, tax reform, and social protection, and has been cited in policy proposals advanced in the Assemblée nationale and by cabinets of ministers in successive French administrations. Academic reception highlights CEPREMAP’s role in translating rigorous empirical methods—comparable to approaches at IZA Institute of Labor Economics and CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis—into actionable recommendations. Critics sometimes question the center’s proximity to governmental actors and industry partners, referencing debates similar to those around transparency at other institutes like Brookings Institution and Heritage Foundation. Overall, CEPREMAP is regarded as a prominent actor within France’s ecosystem of policy research and public affairs.

Category:Think tanks based in France