The Coppieters Foundation is a Brussels-based European political foundation established in 2007, named after Maurits Coppieters, a Flemish politician and founding member of the European Free Alliance who served in the European Parliament from 1979 until 1981. The organization operates as a think tank supported by the European Parliament and its member organizations.
The foundation focuses on policy research examining cultural and linguistic diversity, minority rights, multi-level governance, decentralization, self-determination, and constitutional reform across Europe. Its membership comprises eleven full members and five associated members representing eight European countries, including organizations from Catalonia, the Basque Country, Wales, Brittany, and other regions with distinct political identities.
Headquartered at Boomkwekerijstraat 1 in Brussels, the foundation develops research projects, publishes policy papers and reports, and organizes conferences aimed at European policymakers and the general public. Recent initiatives have addressed topics ranging from the European Green Deal to migration dynamics in European islands and the role of regions and cities in EU decision-making.
The organization maintains a network spanning 14 regions or territories across the EU and EU candidate countries. Its activities are coordinated through a bureau elected by member organizations, which meets quarterly to oversee annual projects and facilitate coordination among members. The foundation's research typically examines how complex societies can manage cultural differences while balancing autonomy and European integration.