Changing European modes of economic governance: How do European political foundations and think tank networks wield influence?

The workshop serves to present and discuss the results of the research on the New Direction Foundation and the network of national think tanks (24 organizations) linked to the European foundation of the (right wing) European Parliament Group of Conservatives and Reformists (about 50 MEPs). The information has been collected over five months in collaboration with country experts and is presented at the website of the Think Tank Network Research Initiative. 

Beyond discussing the results (and complications) of the research undertaken so far we would like the workshop to help reflecting on challenges and opportunities of a larger comparative research project on European think tank networks (transnational expert, consulting and lobby / advocacy networks or TECLANs for short). To this end we have invited additional experts (on European social network analysis, interest groups and lobby strategies, public policy participation).