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About Us

Mission

The European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) is the EU’s foreign and security policy think tank. We provide critical analysis and insights to inform the EU’s strategic choices.

Our mission is to:

  • Analyse: conduct rigorous research and analysis to provide policymakers with a clear and comprehensive understanding of the global security landscape.
  • Inform: offer policy-relevant recommendations to shape effective EU foreign, security, and defence policies.
  • Connect: serve as a bridge between the world of ideas (Europe’s think tanks and scholarly community) and the world of policy-making (EU and member States’ officials).

We are the only foreign policy research organisation with direct links to European Institutions and are mandated to think specifically in EU terms. As such, we are uniquely positioned to contribute to shaping EU external policies.

Organisation

The EUISS is an autonomous EU agency that is intellectually independent and funded by the EU Member States. It is governed by a management board composed of Member States’ representatives and chaired by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. 

Approximately 40 individuals work at the Institute, divided between its headquarters in Paris and a liaison office in Brussels. 

Activities

We focus on policy-oriented analysis through publications and events. Our flagship publication is the Chaillot Paper series, complemented by shorter Briefs and news-driven Commentaries.  

EUISS events bring together EU officials, national experts, academics, decision-makers, media, and civil society representatives from both EU Member States and the wider world. These events aim to foster dialogue, enhance analytical capacity and shape common approaches.

Related documents

Council Decision 2014/75/CFSP on the European Union Institute for Security Studies

Organisation chart

Staff regulations