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| CERRE | |
|---|---|
| Name | CERRE |
| Formation | 2013 |
| Type | Think tank |
| Headquarters | Brussels, Belgium |
| Leader title | President |
| Leader name | Paul Timmers |
CERRE
Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE) is an independent Brussels-based think tank established in 2013 that analyzes regulatory issues across the European Union and beyond. It brings together experts from industry, academia and public institutions to study sectoral regulation affecting telecommunications, energy, transportation, media, and financial services. CERRE produces policy advice intended for stakeholders such as the European Commission, national regulators like ARCEP and Ofcom, and supranational bodies including the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.
CERRE was founded in 2013 by a group of academics and industry leaders amid debates following major reforms such as the Telecommunications Single Market proposals and the Third Energy Package. Early participants included scholars affiliated with King's College London, Université catholique de Louvain, and Sciences Po, alongside executives from firms like Orange S.A., EDF and Deutsche Telekom. In its formative years CERRE organized conferences with regulators from BEREC, representatives of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and legal scholars who had worked on cases before the Court of Justice of the European Union. Over the 2010s CERRE expanded its remit to cover digital markets shaped by rulings in the European Court of Human Rights and policy initiatives such as the Digital Single Market and the General Data Protection Regulation.
CERRE’s stated mission is to improve regulatory quality through evidence-based analysis targeted at policymakers in the European Commission and national authorities such as Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato and Bundesnetzagentur. Activities include organizing workshops with participants from Google, Microsoft, Amazon (company), legacy incumbents like Deutsche Bahn and utilities including Engie, plus academic contributors from University of Oxford and KU Leuven. CERRE convenes task forces to examine intersections of competition law shaped by the European Commission (Competition) with sectoral rules influenced by agencies like ACM (Netherlands). It facilitates dialogue among stakeholders from the European Investment Bank, consumer groups such as BEUC, and labor representatives connected to ETUC.
CERRE outputs white papers, policy briefs, and comparative studies analyzing issues in electronic communications, electricity markets, railway reform and platform regulation linked to cases like Google v. Commission. Publications often cite jurisprudence from the Court of Justice of the European Union and guidance from the European Data Protection Board. CERRE research addresses regulatory tools deployed under frameworks including the Network and Information Security Directive and engages with proposals such as the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation. Its reports are used by staff at the European Commission (DG CONNECT), advisers to European Parliament committees, and experts at national ministries like the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (Netherlands).
CERRE is governed by a board of directors composed of former regulators, academics and corporate representatives drawn from organizations including ITU, OECD, and universities like Universidade de Lisboa. Leadership includes a president and a research director who coordinate thematic workstreams on telecoms regulation, energy transition and digital platforms. Operational teams collaborate with affiliated fellows from institutions such as London School of Economics, Harvard Kennedy School and Université Libre de Bruxelles. CERRE’s events feature keynote speakers from bodies like the European Central Bank and chairs of national authorities such as ANCOM.
Funding for CERRE comes from a mix of corporate memberships, foundation grants and project-based funding involving partners like European Climate Foundation, Open Society Foundations and corporate members including Vodafone, Siemens and TotalEnergies. Governance arrangements aim to balance influence through a membership charter and a transparency policy aligned with standards promoted by the European Transparency Register. Project contracts have been awarded in collaboration with entities such as the Horizon 2020 programme and consulting assignments involving firms like McKinsey & Company and Roland Berger.
CERRE has influenced policy debates on regulation of broadband infrastructure, smart grids and platform liability by informing consultations at DG COMP and contributing to workshops convened by BEREC and the European Commission (DG ENERGY). Supporters point to CERRE’s capacity to synthesize legal and economic analysis used by officials at national regulatory authorities and by advisers in European Parliament working groups. Critics argue that corporate sponsorship from actors such as Telefónica and ENEL may create conflicts of interest and have called for stricter firewalls between funders and researchers, echoing concerns raised by advocacy groups like Access Now and Corporate Europe Observatory. Debates continue over CERRE’s role relative to academic centers at institutions such as University of Cambridge and policy units within the European Policy Centre.
Category:Think tanks based in Belgium