The Compagnia di San Paolo is one of the largest independent foundations in Europe and one of the main private funders of research in the fields of EU affairs and international relations. Over the past few years the Compagnia has consolidated its profile in these fields, working closely with organisations such as the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the Istituto Affari Internazionali.
We feel that it is important to support the emergence of a European political space, in which a truly European debate on the main issues facing the EU can be held. One of the greatest challenges the EU faces this year is the migration crisis. More than ever before, this crisis shows the importance of an open debate on foreign policy and the role of European member states, their actions, and institutions.
Strengthening our understanding of Europe’s role in the world is crucial if we want to face up to its major challenges. It is against this background that the Compagnia di San Paolo has continued its cooperation with the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) on the sixth edition of the European Foreign Policy Scorecard. We highly value our ongoing relationship with ECFR and sincerely hope that this project will continue to intensify the dialogue among various European stakeholders.
Piero Gastaldo
Secretary General
Compagnia di San Paolo
