ESPAS – at the heart of EU foresight

About ESPAS

The European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS) is an inter-institutional EU process promoting foresight and anticipatory governance. It brings together nine EU institutions and bodies who are committed to thinking longer term about the challenges and opportunities facing Europe and, through foresight, to support policy-makers to make the right policy choices.

We live in an era of rapid and sometimes frightening change, and of growing complexity and uncertainty. Stability, prosperity and democracy are no longer a given. To meet the expectations of citizens and communities, responsible governance is necessary to help prepare better for the future, mitigate major risks and build up capabilities. This is where strategic foresight comes into its own. By mainstreaming foresight techniques and processes in policy-making, Europe can make informed choices about the future and the lives and well-being of its citizens.

Since it was established in the early 2010s, ESPAS has led the way in forging a new culture of foresight in the EU. Many EU institutions, bodies and agencies have developed their own foresight capacity for better policy-making.

Drawing on the collective talent from amongst its members, ESPAS is currently working on a number of projects including:

• A series of Foresight Papers to stimulate discussion on the future across the policy spectrum.
• A horizon scanning project identifying 'weak signals' of change.
• An Annual Conference to be held in November 2025, bringing together political figures and experts from around the world.

For more information on ESPAS activities and foresight in the European Union, please contact us at ESPAS.Secretariat@europarl.europa.eu.

Foresight is much more about shaping the future than predicting it.