Instytut Politologii UG, Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek
Abstract
Europe has the second highest amount of think tanks in the world. European think tanks are funded by the European Union (EU) as well as closely cooperate with EU's institutions. Their research range broadness with every new challenges faced by this organization. One of such challenges is the EU's Energy Policy, the future of which has been somewhat described in, among others, the so called Energy Roadmap 2050. The basic aims of the EU's energy policy include further reduction of greenhouse emissions and increasing the usage of renewable energy sources. However, in the aftermath of the Fukushima incident, some European countries began to shy away from nuclear energy, paradoxically considering how environmental friendly it is. The authors assumed that because decision-makers and officials are the main stakeholders of the think tanks work, the means by which the think tanks research is presented is a meaning full influence in creating the EU's energy Policy. The aim of this article was to analyze the research agenda of Europe's most important think tanks (as specified by the European Commission), their origins, use, areas of activity, as well as the stakeholders to whom their work is presented. Finally think tanks research agenda for the 2011-2014 period was reviewed for how European think tanks approach the subject of nuclear energy.Europe has the second highest amount of think tanks in the world. European think tanks are funded by the European Union (EU) as well as closely cooperate with EU's institutions. Their research range broadness with every new challenges faced by this organization. One of such challenges is the EU's Energy Policy, the future of which has been somewhat described in, among others, the so called Energy Roadmap 2050. The basic aims of the EU's energy policy include further reduction of greenhouse emissions and increasing the usage of renewable energy sources. However, in the aftermath of the Fukushima incident, some European countries began to shy away from nuclear energy, paradoxically considering how environmental friendly it is. The authors assumed that because decision-makers and officials are the main stakeholders of the think tanks work, the means by which the think tanks research is presented is a meaning full influence in creating the EU's energy Policy. The aim of this article was to analyze the research agenda of Europe's most important think tanks (as specified by the European Commission), their origins, use, areas of activity, as well as the stakeholders to whom their work is presented. Finally think tanks research agenda for the 2011-2014 period was reviewed for how European think tanks approach the subject of nuclear energy
