The Network
In July 2010, with Decision 2010/430/CFSP, the Council of the European Union decided to establish a Network of independent European think tanks and research centers to support the implementation of the EU Strategy Against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
The primary goal of the Network is to encourage political and security-related discussion and to explore measures to combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), conventional weapons (including small arms and light weapons, SALW), and their delivery systems. With the involvement of civil society, researchers, and academics, the Network aims at producing reports and recommendations to officials within the European Union, and at organizing activities such as international conferences, ad-hoc seminars, and expert meetings.
Today the Network brings together more than 90 research entities:
[complete list]
The Consortium
Since its establishment, the work of the Network has been jointly coordinated by a Consortium of EU institutes entrusted with the implementation of the Council Decision.
Today, the Consortium is composed of six institutes:
- la Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique (FRS)
- the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)
- the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI)
- the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (HSFK/ PRIF)
- the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
- the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP)