Foresight within the EU institutions: The ESPAS process so far

Briefing 20-05-2020

The European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS) brings together the various European Union (EU) institutions and bodies in a process of administrative-level cooperation designed to identify and analyse the medium- and long-term trends facing the European Union and their implications for policy-makers. This dialogue was established in the early 2010s as a means of promoting longer-term thinking in the EU policy process and encouraging the Union’s various institutions to cooperate more closely in this field. This EPRS Briefing traces the origins of the ESPAS process and describes its operation to date, with the digital version of the Briefing offering links to some of its key output since 2012. A parallel Briefing will compare and contrast the three Global Trends Reports produced by the ESPAS process, in 2012, 2015 and 2019.