About us

Think-and-do–tank for a healthy media sector in Europe

Media sustainability | Executive training | Media policy

Europe’s MediaLab (Fondation EURACTIV) is primarily established as a Belgian not-for-profit organisation. What makes us unique is that we work as a hub and convener at the intersection of legacy media, Europe, and democracy:

Firstly, we provide analysis and facilitate a dialogue between media professionals and the EU.
Secondly, we implement projects that have a positive effect on the sector’s ability to innovate and be sustainable across venues. In turn, this fosters a healthy democracy and the emergence of a European public sphere.
Third, and most importantly, the media sector in Europe is in need of creative forms of medicine that help boost its health alongside subsidies, regulations and policies. As such, we connect with EU policy makers and reflect on with them on the media sector’s needs and tech trends; we subsequently leverage what opportunities the EU offers through unique knowledge of the EU policy-making process and the media ecosystem; and eventually, build partnerships and experiment sustainable projects.

We support philanthropic projects which are in line with EU freedoms and fundamental rights. Read more about this initiative: Joint press release: DAFNE and EFC welcome EESC call for an enabling environment for philanthropy

Our team

Thierry Leroy, Secretary General

Public Projects Finance Director at EURACTIV, has a vast experience in financial management, gained as Treasurer of ‘Alliance française de Bruxelles-Europe’. Since 2007, he has been Treasurer of Fondation EURACTIV.

+32 (0)2 226 58 27 secgen@euractiv.com

Marc Sundermann, Senior Fellow and Project Director

He has worked for Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA since January 2012, when he joined the Bertelsmann Brussels Liasion Office as Manager Government Relations. In 2016, he became Head of the Brussels Liaison office and as of 2018 he was Senior Vice President Government Relations (until February 2020). Before joining Bertelsmann he was senior legal counsel for Europe for IFPI.

fondationdirector@euractiv.com

Christophe Leclercq, Chairman

Founder of EURACTIV media network and executive chairman of Fondation EURACTIV, he is also an adviser and commentator, former DG Competition official and McKinsey consultant. He speaks and comments in EN, FR, DE about several topics, such as public affairs, media policy, and languages. @LeclercqEU

Nathalie Bargues, Communications and Projects Manager

She is currently in charge of communications, EU-funded projects and event organisation. Previously, as Projects Officer at ALDA (European Association for Local Democracy), she worked on implementing EU-funded projects focused on youth, migration and entrepreneurship in the Balkans.

+32 (0)2 788 36 68 nathalie.bargues@euractiv.com

Giulia Andretta, Policy and Advocacy Assistant

She is Policy and Advocacy Assistant at Fondation EURACTIV. Previously, she was a trainee at the Italian Cultural Institute in Copenhagen, and she graduated in law in Italy.

+32 (0)2 788 36 80 giulia.andretta@euractiv.com

Administration

Our governance

Europe’s MediaLab (Fondation EURACTIV) is guided by an Orientation Committee and an Advisory Council composed of some 50 trusted media & policy experts. As for our board members, they are essentially non-executive directors who are otherwise unrelated to EURACTIV.

• 8 Board Members: list as of September 2020

• 50 Advisory Council members: list as of October 2018

• 27 Orientation Committee members: list as of October 2018

Board members

Bart Becks, EURACTIV Executive Chairman

Ramona Coman, ULB

Christophe Leclercq, Founder of EURACTIV

Sharon Leclercq-Spooner, EPPA

Julian Oliver, Fondation EURACTIV

Max Von Abendroth, Dafne

Stephen Boucher, Dreamocracy

Funding

Our diversified funding

Our think-and-do-tank has two main sources of income, namely:

Funds awarded by grant-making organisations, for instance Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), and the Robert Bosch Foundation. In addition, we have received public grants from the EU institutions for communication and demonstration projects, for instance “EU Community” (EurActory & PolicyLine), “Open Discovery Space”, “Citadel on the Move” and STYLE.
Payments (for services provided) by media organisations, notably members of the EURACTIV Network and EURACTIV.com.

Costs mainly include salaries and associated charges, rent, depreciation and utility charges, communications as well as other routine office administration expenses. The complete annual accounts of Europe’s MediaLab (Fondation EURACTIV) are filed with the Belgian Central Bank, as required under Europe’s MediaLab (Fondation EURACTIV) statutes (2019 Annual Accounts: summary since 2015).