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The European Institute's first decade

As the 1980s turned into the 1990s, the EU was developing what would become the 1992 Maastricht Treaty (which, among other things, introduced European citizenship) and giving early consideration to whether, when and on what basis the reforming former-Communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe might become Member States.

Against that backdrop, the School established the European Institute (EI) as a focus for colleagues across departments who worked on different aspects of Europe.

‘The Institute’s objective is to develop and co-ordinate teaching and research about Europe (broadly defined), and to co-ordinate and develop links with European institutions and responses to EC programme’ (LSE Calendar, 1992-93, p. 49).

The EI was never only about the EU, given the prescience of the EI’s original terms of reference in specifying Europe ‘broadly defined’.

Professor Nicholas Barr

  • Nicholas Barr

    About the author

    Professor Nicholas Barr is the Professor of Public Economics at the European Institute.

    His researches focus on economic theory of the welfare state, social insurance, pensions, health finance, the finance of higher education.