ORIGINS:

ECSA is an international scientific network which regroups 52 national associations of professors and researchers working in the field of European integration studies representing more than 9000 members.

National associations for the study of the European Union have existed in the Member States for many years. The first one, the « Commission pour l’étude des Communautés européennes » - CEDECE, was set up in France in 1963 ; the second was the « Arbeitskreis für Europaïsche Integration » - AEI, which was set up in Germany in 1964.

Similar associations now exist in all the Member States (except Luxembourg) and in 32 non-EU countries (in Japan since 1975, in China since 1984, in Korea since 1994 and in Poland and Hungary since 1989, etc...). 

The associations of the member states were federated in 1987. The first meeting of the Presidents of the ECSAs throughout the world took place in 1992 at the occasion of the first ECSA World Conference.

OBJECTIVES:

ECSA has the following aims:

1.       to promote teaching and university research on European integration;

2.       to develop cooperation among its Members and, through them, the widest possible cooperation between universities throughout the world;

3.       to manage transnational programmes of research and technical assistance, organise conferences and stimulate networks of academic cooperation, make available its expertise in relation to curricula and programmes and carry out studies in the area of European integration;

4.       to disseminate information on university activities relating to teaching and research on  European Integration through publications and by establishing, managing and contributing to an interactive communication network on the Internet.

ORGANISATION and FUNCTION :
 

The Members of ECSA comprise university associations which are established all over the world with the purpose of developing teaching and university research on European integration and which have a legal personality or are constituted in accordance with the laws and practices of their country of origin. 

The Association is controlled by the General Assembly, the Administrative Board and the Academic Council.