EPICENTER

EPICENTER (European Policy Information Center) is an independent network comprising twelve free market think tanks from across Europe. It was founded in 2014 by Christina Stewart-Lockhart, comprising six free market European think tanks. The organization aims to promote the values of a free society and contribute to contemporary discussion of European policy. EPICENTER, like its members, identifies as a political independent and privately funded organization.
Currently, it is composed of 12 “member” think tanks, who are directly affiliated with EPICENTER, and 16 “partner” think tanks, who identify with EPICENTER on a project-by-project collaborative basis. On the 2017 EU Transparency Register, Philip Morris International (PMI) declared that it was an EPICENTER member.
Founding Members
* Institute of Economic Affairs (UK)
* Timbro (Sweden)
* Fundación Civismo (Spain) - (Member until 2021)
* Institut Économique Molinari (France)
* Istituto Bruno Leoni (Italy)
* Lithuanian Free Market Institute (Lithuania)
Membership Expansion
* Civil Development Forum (Poland) - Joined 2017
* Center for Political Studies (Denmark) - Joined 2017
* KEFiM (Greece) - Joined 2018
* Prometheus (Germany) - Joined 2022
* Institute of Economic and Social Studies (Slovakia) - Joined 2022
* Institute for Market Studies (Bulgaria) - Joined 2024
* Fundación para el Avance de la Libertad (Spain) - Joined 2024
Publications
The Nanny State Index
The Nanny State Index (NSI), compiled by Chistopher Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, is a ranking that evaluates the “worst countries to drink, smoke, and vape in Europe,”, measured by the level of governmental regulations (e.g., taxes and prohibition) on goods affected by sin taxes. Initiated in March 2016, it has been published biennially since 2017, gaining media attention from outlets such as The i and The Telegraph.
Countries are scored out of 100 based on the amount of regulation on three categories of “alcohol, nicotine, and diet”, with the highest-scoring countries being designated as the most paternalistic. As of the 2023 publication, Turkey, Norway and Lithuania are identified as being the most paternalistic in Europe, while Italy, Czechia and Germany are considered the least.
Timbro Authoritarian Populism Index
Published by EPICENTER and its Swedish member think tank Timbro, authored by Andreas Johansson Heinö, the Timbro Authoritarian Populism Index (TAP) focuses on Europe-wide support for authoritarian and illiberal parties. It aims to provide an understanding of political developments within a European context for national and contemporary events and elections. As of 2024, four editions have been published.
The inaugural edition, published in 2016, concluded that populism in Europe was on the rise, reflecting widely shared public attitudes. This trend continued, as reported in the 2017 and 2019 editions. The 2024 publication noted that support for populist parties remained significant but had levelled out compared to previous years. Right-wing populism in particular saw the most growth in support, whereas left-wing populism has seen an overall decline. Recent polls also suggested that support for liberal parties simultaneously went up, albeit by lower levels, potentially as a countermeasure to the growing influence of populist parties.
This edition also introduced country profiles, ranking countries based on the level of domestic support for populist parties; Hungary, Italy, and France topped the list, while Malta, the United Kingdom, and Portugal were among the countries deemed as having the least support for populism.
Q.E.D. Evidence Based Policymaking
In 2024, EPICENTER released “Q.E.D. Why Politicians Need an Evidence-based Approach to Policy Problems,” a publication critiquing what it describes as a lack of evidence-based policy in various European policy domains. The publication is divided into four chapters, each focusing on energy, health, pensions, and agriculture. It also comments on the state of the EU's innovation, suggesting that it is being outpaced by countries such as the United States and China due to differences in business dynamics and regulations.
For example, in the case of drugs, it suggests revising legal frameworks to clearly define light drugs, separate users from traffickers, consider decriminalization for simple users, and provide better support for addicts, amongst other preventative measures.
The publication received media attention, covered by major European newspapers such as Le Figaro and L'Express.
Market Force
Following the 20th anniversary of the introduction of the European Single Market, EPICENTER published “Market Force: Revitalising the Single Market for the next 30 years,” discussing the role of the EU Single Market in promoting economic growth across all EU countries, particularly Central and Eastern European countries. As described by the Brussels Report, it is critical of what it views as inconsistent EU legislation and overly regulatory measures in contributing to the European economic state. Its final part acts as a projection for the Single Market in the next 30 years, recommending a liberalization of labor and service markets, reversing digital sector regulations and prioritizing legislation to enhance the Single Market.
This was further advertised through the 2024 Free Market Road Show, a multi-country series of events discussing economic strategies, individual freedom, and sustainable development from a free market perspective headed by the Austrian Economics Center and supported by EPICENTER. Events were held across Europe and the United States, with various prominent figures coming in to speak, such as Prince Michael of House of Liechtenstein, British Conservative MP Robert Jenrick, and Slovakian Deputy Prime Minister Denisa Saková.

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