EuropaWorld 27/4/2001 The Federal Trust

The Federal Trust is an independent think tank, founded in post-war Britain to enlighten the debate on good governance. The Trust provides information for research and education purposes and acts as a forum to explore federal solutions to issues of governance at national, continental and global levels.

The Federal Trust was founded in 1945 on the initiative of then Secretary of State William Beveridge. Its purpose was to provide a non-partisan forum to study democratic unity amongst states and peoples. Having continued to provide a platform for information-sharing and debate ever since, it has made a powerful intellectual contribution to the study of federalism and in particular to Britain’s relationship to the emerging European Union.

Today the Federal Trust runs a number of projects on issues relating to its main research concerns. These include international citizenship, constitutional developments and governance at European and global levels. Considerations of EU enlargement and various aspects of EU policy also feature within this remit.

Promoting Awareness and Debate
To fuel both awareness and discussion of these issues, the Trust organises frequent information-sharing activities. These include expert debates, conferences and seminars involving speakers from academia, business and finance, civil society, the media, government and politics. Recent topics have included capital market integration, the World Trade Organisation, EU immigration policy, European security, EU reform and citizens’ rights. The conclusions from such activities form the basis of policy recommendations, publications and educational materials.

Diverse Opinions in Books and Essays
Many of the conclusions and concerns resulting from such projects are publicised through the Trust’s publishing programme. This has included series of books on European Constitutional Developments, European Parliamentary Democracy and Europe’s Eastern Borders. The Trust also produces a series of monthly European Essays with the aim of reflecting the diverse opinions and perspectives within the debate on good governance.

Expertise Within and Outside the EU
The Federal Trust draws on a wide range of expertise from its Council Members and research fellows who specialise in diverse disciplines including law, finance, economics and politics. The Trust also runs various projects to encourage trans-national debate. In 1974 the Trust helped to establish the Trans-European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) - a network of like-minded institutes from all the countries of the enlarging European Union. Close relations are also maintained with independent think tanks outside the EU.

The Federal Trust is registered as a charity for education and research purposes and is supported by corporate, institutional, academic and individual sponsors. It is based in London and is currently under the chairmanship of Mr Martyn Bond.

For More Information
Further details of Trust publications and activities can be found at the Federal Trust website at http://www.fedtrust.co.uk/