The conversations shaping these research priorities will continue at Human x AI Europe on May 19 in Vienna, where policymakers and technologists convene to translate analysis into action.
The Architecture of European Policy Knowledge
Research institutions do not merely produce papers. They produce the conceptual vocabulary that policymakers reach for when drafting legislation, the frameworks that civil servants apply when implementing directives, and the evidence base that advocates cite when contesting decisions. Understanding what a major think tank publishes, and in what proportions, reveals where institutional attention flows.
CEPS, the Centre for European Policy Studies, operates as one of Brussels' most prolific policy research engines. The organisation's publication database, updated through April 2026, offers a window into the intellectual infrastructure supporting EU governance. The numbers tell a story: 2,192 policy contributions, 548 project reports, 405 research papers, 133 books, and 112 task force reports accumulated over two decades.
The 2026 output so far includes 25 publications. That pace, if sustained, would fall below the organisation's stated annual average of 150 publications. The composition matters more than the count.
What the 2026 Portfolio Reveals
Three clusters dominate the early 2026 output.
Industrial circularity and battery ecosystems. A policy contribution titled "Building an EU industrial ecosystem of circularity applications for battery packs" addresses the state of play, challenges, and conditions for further development. This aligns with the EU's broader push toward strategic autonomy in critical raw materials and the implementation of the Battery Regulation that entered force in 2024. The question is not whether Europe can manufacture batteries. The question is whether Europe can close the loop: recover, reprocess, and reintegrate materials at scale without creating new dependencies.
Financial regulation simplification. A task force report titled "More finance, less friction: how to simplify the EU's financial regulation and strengthen supervisory structures" signals a recalibration. The EU's financial services framework has accumulated layers of post-2008 crisis regulation. The report's framing suggests a shift from additive rulemaking toward consolidation and coherence. A companion policy contribution warns that "The Savings and Investment Union has had a bad start – we need an 'emergency brake'." The language is unusually direct for institutional research.
Migration and irregularity. Two project reports examine "The production of irregularity in Europe" and its gendered dimensions. The framing is notable: irregularity as something produced by systems, not merely by individual choices. This analytical lens has implications for how enforcement, welfare, and labour regimes interact. A commissioned report assesses the impacts of the 2025 Returns and Safe Countries European Commission Proposals, providing technical analysis of recent legislative initiatives.
The Unit Structure Behind the Output
CEPS organises its research across ten units. The distribution of publications by unit reveals institutional priorities:
- Financial Markets and Institutions: 335 publications
- Justice and Home Affairs: 136 publications
- Energy, Resources and Climate Change: 252 publications
- Foreign Policy: 231 publications
- Economic Policy: 329 publications
The Financial Markets unit's dominance reflects both the EU's regulatory density in this domain and CEPS's historical strength in banking and capital markets research. The European Credit Research Institute (ECRI) and European Capital Markets Institute (ECMI), both housed within CEPS, contribute to this concentration.
The Data Science unit shows only 5 publications. This is striking given the EU's regulatory activity in AI and data governance. The AI, digitalisation and innovation topic category shows 81 publications, but these are distributed across multiple units rather than concentrated in a dedicated data science function. The gap suggests that AI policy analysis at CEPS operates as a cross-cutting concern rather than a standalone research programme.
Strategic Foresight Documents
Two publications merit particular attention for their forward-looking orientation.
The "2026 Ideas Lab report" represents CEPS's annual foresight exercise. While the full content is not available from the publication listing, the Ideas Lab format typically convenes diverse stakeholders to generate policy scenarios and identify emerging challenges.
"CEPS Research Priorities 2026-27" explicitly signals where the organisation intends to direct analytical capacity. This document functions as a roadmap for researchers, funders, and policymakers seeking to anticipate CEPS's future output.
A project report titled "Beyond rupture: strategic choices for the EU in an era of global disorder" addresses the geopolitical context shaping all other policy domains. The framing acknowledges discontinuity: the assumption that incremental adjustment will suffice has been replaced by recognition that structural choices are required.
The Multiannual Financial Framework Analysis
A commissioned report titled "Navigating the European Commission's MFF Proposal for 2028-2034" maps risks and opportunities for cohesion policy and regional development. The MFF (Multiannual Financial Framework) determines EU spending priorities for seven-year cycles. The 2028-2034 proposal will shape resource allocation for the remainder of the decade.
Cohesion policy, which directs funds toward less developed regions, faces pressure from competing priorities: defence spending, green transition investments, and digital infrastructure. The report's focus on "mapping risks" suggests that the current proposal may disadvantage traditional cohesion recipients.
What the Topic Distribution Indicates
The publication database allows filtering by topic. The distribution reveals where analytical attention has accumulated:
- Finance: 1,194 publications
- Migration, asylum and borders: 352 publications
- Energy, climate change and the environment: 356 publications
- Economic and monetary affairs: 204 publications
- Foreign and security policy: 192 publications
- AI, digitalisation and innovation: 81 publications
The finance category's dominance is partly an artifact of CEPS's institutional history and the density of EU financial regulation. The AI category's relatively modest count, despite the EU's position as a global leader in AI regulation through the AI Act, suggests that the policy research infrastructure has not yet scaled to match the regulatory ambition.
Implications for Practitioners
For policymakers, the CEPS publication database functions as a searchable archive of technical analysis. The filter system allows targeting by year, topic, unit, and publication type. The 2026 output on battery circularity and financial regulation simplification provides immediate inputs for ongoing legislative processes.
For foresight practitioners, the "Research Priorities 2026-27" document signals where institutional attention will flow. Anticipating CEPS's analytical focus helps identify which policy debates will receive sustained technical support.
For startup leaders and investors, the gap between regulatory ambition in AI and the depth of dedicated policy research capacity represents both a risk and an opportunity. The risk: policy analysis may lag behind technological development. The opportunity: organisations that can bridge technical expertise and policy fluency will find receptive audiences in Brussels.
The infrastructure exists. The question is whether it is configured for the speed and complexity of the challenges ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is CEPS and what does it publish?
A: CEPS (Centre for European Policy Studies) is a Brussels-based think tank that publishes over 150 research outputs annually across 20 policy topics. Its publication types include policy contributions, research papers, project reports, task force reports, and books.
Q: How many publications has CEPS released in 2026?
A: As of April 2026, CEPS has published 25 research outputs. This includes policy contributions on battery circularity, task force reports on financial regulation, and project reports on migration policy.
Q: What are CEPS's main research areas by publication volume?
A: Finance leads with 1,194 publications, followed by energy, climate and environment (356), migration, asylum and borders (352), economic and monetary affairs (204), and foreign and security policy (192). AI, digitalisation and innovation accounts for 81 publications.
Q: How does CEPS organise its research units?
A: CEPS operates ten research units including Financial Markets and Institutions (335 publications), Economic Policy (329), Energy, Resources and Climate Change (252), Foreign Policy (231), and Justice and Home Affairs (136). It also houses two specialised institutes: ECRI and ECMI.
Q: What is the MFF and why does CEPS analyse it?
A: The MFF (Multiannual Financial Framework) is the EU's seven-year budget plan. CEPS's commissioned report on the 2028-2034 MFF proposal examines risks and opportunities for cohesion policy, which directs funds to less developed regions.
Q: Where can I access CEPS publications?
A: All CEPS publications are available at ceps.eu/ceps-publications, with filters for publication type, research unit, topic, and year. The database spans from 2002 to present.