Stockholm Network

The Stockholm Network is a corporate lobbying company and network of European "market-oriented" think tanks. Its clients include Pfizer, Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) and Schering-Plough Corporation.

Writing in The Times in December 2005, Paul Staines wrote that the Stockholm Network "turns out to be in fact the public face of Market House International, a PR consultancy that tells corporate clients that the network gives it "local capacity to deliver both local messages and locally tailored global messages in a wide range of countries"." [1]

On its website the groups states that it "brings together more than 110 market-oriented think tanks from across Europe, giving us the capacity to deliver local messages and locally-tailored global messages across the EU and beyond." [2]

What topics we discuss:

The Network is interested in ideas which stimulate economic growth and help people to help themselves. We promote policies which create the social and economic conditions for a free society. These include:

• Reforming European welfare states and creating a more flexible labour market.
• Creating competition and choice in healthcare, through reform of European health systems and markets.
• Creating a market in which world class education can flourish.
• Emphasisng the benefits of globalisation and creating an understanding of free market ideas.

Representatives from think-tanks span 130 member across Europe including:

• Centre for the New Europe (Brussels)
• Civitas (London)
• Copenhagen Institute (Denmark)
• Institut Montaigne (Paris)
• Timbro (Stockholm)
• Paradigmes (Paris)
• Policy Exchange (London)

People

The Stockholm Network does not have a board and is owned and run by Helen Disney

Personnel

• Helen Disney, Director
• Rick Nye, Company Secretary, also a director of opinion pollsters Populus
• Anne Jensen, Project Officer, IP, Competition and Trade programme
• Sacha Kumaria, is the Stockholm Network's Assistant Director. He has responsibility for liaising with the member think-tanks, and co-ordinating research projects and events. Sacha joined the Stockholm Network in January after a successful research internship at Civitas, a civil society think-tank and Stockholm Network member in London. He previously worked part-time as a student caller during his postgraduate studies, raising money for the University of Warwick Alumni Fund. After growing up in Hong Kong, Sacha returned to the UK to continue his studies, and holds a Degree in English and American Literature and a Masters in Ancient History from the University of Warwick.
• Peter Nolan is the Stockholm Network Director of Environmental Affairs.
• Terry O Dwyer, Manager, Health and Welfare programme

Contact information

35 Britannia Row,
London, N1 8QH,
United Kingdom
Email: info AT stockholm-network.org
Phone: +44 (0)20 7354 8888
Fax: +44 (0)20 7359 8888
Web: http://www.stockholm-network.org

External links

• Corporate Europe Observatory, "Covert industry funding fuels the expansion of radical rightwing EU think tanks", July 2005.
• Paul Staines, "You want policy? In cash?", The Times (London), December 20, 2005, Page 19.
• Spinprofiles Stockholm Network