ABOUT US
European Policy Forum has been improving the quality of policy ideas for the UK and the EU since 1992.
The Forum is highly regarded for its expertise in the financial, energy, telecoms and other regulated sectors. It has a particular mission to develop the better regulation agenda and has produced pioneering studies promoting the design, effective use and subsequent audit of impact assessments.
It attracts the highest level of policymakers at the international, European and national level with a special mission to bring together policymakers, regulators and market participants in constructive dialogue.
It holds frequent special roundtables on topical issues which allow a fruitful exchange of confidential analysis, perspective and policy ideas for the benefit of better policymaking, better regulation and better legislation. Competition and choice are at the centre of its work and their interaction with other public policy objectives and the public interest overall is another key area of study.
EPF is chaired by Lord Jay of Ewelme, who succeeded Lord Tugendhat in 2021. The Advisory Council includes on a cross-party basis, prominent members of the House of Lords, leading regulators, distinguished former civil servants and prominent business leaders.
OUR NETWORK
The Forum has had close connections with the European Institutions which have meant that its work is closely integrated with regulatory development in telecoms, financial services, energy, water and other areas which have stemmed from Brussels. The Forum’s Regulatory Best Practice Group will be looking at the likely consequences of Brexit for the relevant sectors going forward.
The Forum’s cross-party links mean that its Advisory Council benefits from the advice of distinguished parliamentarians in the House of Lords drawn from each party: Rt Hon Lord Howell of Guildford, the former Conservative Cabinet Minister; Baroness Smith of Newnham and Lord Stevenson of Balmacara, the Labour Shadow Industry Minister.
Similarly, the Forum’s roundtables, conferences and seminars benefit from the presence of leading policy makers in government and opposition. Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Chairs of regulatory bodies, leading parliamentarians and senior officials from the European institutions play a regular part in its work, as do HM Treasury, the National Infrastructure Commission, the Infrastructure and Projects Authority and Britain’s leading business organisations.
OUR PEOPLE
LORD JAY OF EWELME
Lord Jay of Ewelme GCMG is Chairman of the European Policy Forum's Advisory Council. He sits in the House of Lords as a crossbench member. In his diplomatic career he was Permanent Under Secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Head of the Diplomatic Service. He also served as Ambassador to France and Director General for European and Economic Affairs. He is Chairman of the Advisory Council of the British Library and was Chairman of the House of Lords Appointments Commission. He has been a board member of Associated British Foods, Credit Agricole, EDF, Candover and Valeo.
GRAHAM MATHER CBE
Graham Mather CBE is President of the Forum. He chairs its Regulatory Best Practice Group and serves as a non-executive director on the Boards of Ofcom and the Office of Rail and Road. Having previously served on the Competition Appeal Tribunal and the Monopolies and Mergers Commission. He was a Member of the European Parliament in the 1990s. He has also been General Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs and Head of the Institute of Directors Policy Unit. He was an open scholar of New College, Oxford and Visiting Fellow of Nuffield College.
RICHARD THRELFALL
Richard Threlfall, is Chairman of the Infrastructure Forum Advisory Council. Richard is Partner, and Global Head of Infrastructure at KPMG and also leads KPMG’s Corporate Finance Infrastructure business. Richard previously held roles in the investment banking team at Citigroup and was a civil servant at the Department for Transport. Between 1996 and 1998 he was Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Transport and the Deputy Prime Minister.
DOROTHY SMITH
Dorothy Smith is Stakeholder Partner at the Forum. Until June 2012 she was Director of Group Public Policy at BT Group. She was previously based in Brussels as Director of European Affairs for BT; Chair of the European Telecommunication Operators Association (ETNO) in 2002 and 2003 and Director of European Affairs for British Gas plc up to 1997. In the 1980’s she was Assistant Secretary to the British Coal Corporation. She was Private Secretary to the late Lord Lever of Manchester, when he was Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, in the Cabinet Office, from 1977-1979.