Open Europe is an independent think tank, with offices in London and Brussels, set up by leading UK business people to contribute positive new thinking to the debate about the future direction of the European Union. While Open Europe is committed to European co-operation, it believes that the EU has reached a critical moment in its development. Globalisation, enlargement, successive No votes in EU referenda and the eurozone crisis have discredited the notion of 'ever closer union' espoused by successive generations of political and bureaucratic elites.
Open Europe believes that an adaptable EU is the right way to reconcile the historic demand of some Member States for more integration and the deep-felt desire of many voters for less. It is also likely to be the only way to reconcile the UK to EU membership, as the eurozone crisis forces some countries closer together while the British public and political class increasingly wants to go in the opposite direction. Website