RECEP

Russian-European Centre for Economic Policy

RECEP's function and purpose

RECEP performs a unique and vital function by providing intellectually independent policy advice on economic transition in Russia, grounded in first-class economic research. RECEP's main goals and activities are to:

• Contribute to the formulation of economic reform policies, inter alia by providing appropriate advice to government decision-makers;
• Produce economic research in areas vital to the successful development of Russia's economy;
• Build links with Russian and international think tanks and academic institutions and co-operate in joint research programmes;
• Help shape the debate on economic transition and, in particular through Russian Economic Trends, increase knowledge and awareness of economic developments and of reform issues;
• Strengthen the EU-Russian dialogue on economic and social policy;
• Help to establish and develop a cadre of young Russian economists.

Funding and status

RECEP is financed by the European Union's Tacis Programme, which provides grant finance for know-how to foster the development of market economies and democratic societies in the New Independent States and Mongolia. This support enables RECEP to function as a non-profit, non-partisan, independent institution.

The main beneficiary of RECEP policy advice is the Russian Government, but RECEP's research and policy outputs are also valued by EU bodies, economists, business and financial institutions and wider audiences throughout the world.

A brief history of RECEP and…

The RECEP project was launched as a series of separate policy advice teams assigned to different government bodies in 1995. A consortium led by SITE (Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics and East European Economies) took over this work in 1998.

... RECEP today

In September 2000 RECEP began a new phase in its development towards becoming a sustainable modern research centre and policy think-tank under the guidance of a consortium led by University Pierre Mendes France (UPMF), of Grenoble. UPMF's consortium partner for the year 2001-2002 is the Research Institute of the Finnish Economy, Helsinki (ETLA). The WIIW Institute (Vienna) is associated to RECEP research activities in the field of EU-RF issues.

RECEP Publications, Conferences and Seminars

Through Russian Economic Trends, the leading international source of information on the Russian Economy, RECEP disseminates research and information to a broad audience inside Russia and internationally. At well-attended monthly press conferences RECEP researchers and Russian policymakers shed light on key policy issues.

RECEP organises a series of conferences and seminars. Following our December 2000 conference on EU-Russian relations, the RECEP annual conference, "For a Sustainable Growth in an Open Economy in Russia", took place in Novgorod from 23-25 June 2001. The Centre also organises regular meetings, RECEPtions, where policymakers and academics exchange ideas. RECEP staff regularly participate in outreach activities, including seminars in Ekaterinburg, Voronezh, Nizhniy Novgorod and St. Petersburg.

Russian Economic Trends

Russian Economic Trends (RET), which started up in 1992 by London School of Economics, has become a leading publication of statistics and analysis on the Russian economy. RET, which comes out in quarterly and monthly editions, is written by a team of economists at RECEP with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation Working Centre for Economic Reform.

RET monitors Russia's economy, describing developments in, for example, money and finance, the banking sector, industry, and the labour market.

The quarterly edition offers a comprehensive overview of Russia's economic developments in the respective period and in-depth analysis focusing on longer-term policy issues, based on the latest statistical data and research findings.

The monthly issues, usually presented at a press-conference in Moscow, provide readers with up-to-the-minute information on key economic indicators and comment on current developments in the Russian economy. The monthly edition of Russian Economic Trends is unique not only in the timely nature of its information, but also in offering economic analysis, updated statistics, and economic news in accessible form and in a single publication.

Policy Research

RECEP's core research teams, composed of EU and Russian economists, conduct work in the key areas of Russia's economic reform process. RECEP provides research findings and their policy implications to Russian decision-makers in, amongst others, the Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Labour and Social Development, Central Bank of Russia, and the Duma for these bodies to reflect and deliberate upon as new economic policies are formulated.

RECEP's Achievements

Throughout its existence, RECEP has been an important focus of co-operation between the Russian Government machine, in particular the Working Centre for Economic Reform, and a broad range of Russian and Western economists. It has provided useful advice to the Russian authorities on numerous policy questions, including on issues where Western experience is relevant.

At the same time, RECEP has provided a valuable focus for young Russian economists to learn about Western methods of formulating policy advice and enables them to acquire postgraduate and on-the-job training in economics and related subjects. RECEP has also helped promote Russian and Western applied economists' joint research and publication efforts.

RECEP publications, particularly Russian Economic Trends, are a prime source of information on Russia's economic progress for Russian and Western policy makers, investors and economic researchers. Both the extended quarterly edition and the monthly update of Russian Economic Trends are published in Russian and English.

New Developments at RECEP: opportunities for cooperation

RECEP's work today focuses mainly on a more optimistic phase in Russia's affairs, consequent upon improved economic growth in the last two years and the new government's reform strategy.

In this new phase, the work of RECEP is increasingly focused on policy advice and on close co-operation with Russian decision-makers. As well as responding appropriately to immediate requests emanating from senior Russian policy-makers, RECEP is establishing a number of policy working groups with ministries and government institutions to focus its research and policy advice. RECEP's dynamic policy-oriented approach relies on its established reputation for academic excellence.

RECEP would be pleased to receive approaches to build up co-operative work both on current policy issues and on longer-term research questions. RECEP has research specialists in the following areas:

• The opening of Russia and its integration into the European Economic Area (EEA);
• Russia's development in the global economy;
• Social and labour issues;
• Enterprise restructuring, property rights and corporate governance;
• Macroeconomics, State reform, the budget and tax policies;
• Review of the implementation of the government programme of Socio-Economic Reforms.

In this new phase of RECEP's existence, another top priority will be the establishment and strengthening of links with the business and financial community, with particular focus on the prospects for and constraints to investment in Russia.

Internally, RECEP is strengthening its staff development through a programme of PhDs, study tours and research attachments.

RECEP's Future: Sustainability

Following six years of support, RECEP is well established as a valuable Tacis-financed project. It is increasingly important that RECEP be developed into a sustainable institution with greater continuity. This will enable it to make a serious contribution to economic policy and research questions in Russia for many years to come. RECEP is already primarily a Russian institution, with over 30 Russian specialists on its staff. These are supplemented by 3 full-time experts from the EU and about 20 "short-term" experts who visit Russia on a regular basis to provide specific skills and experience.