T20 EU High-Level Group

The international system is undergoing profound change. Geopolitical competition is intensifying, economic relationships are being reshaped, new technologies are transforming societies and economies, and multilateral institutions face growing pressure to respond to challenges that no country can address alone.

Against this backdrop, the question of how the European Union can contribute to effective global cooperation has become increasingly important.

Re-Imagine Europa has convened the T20 EU High-Level Group (T20 EU-HLG), bringing together senior European experts across key areas of global policy to develop and articulate European perspectives within the Think Tank 20 (T20) process.

Chaired by Maria João Rodrigues, Chairwoman of Re-Imagine Europa, the High-Level Group works across global cooperation, digital transformation, energy and climate, economy and finance, security, and trade. Its aim is to connect European expertise with the wider international debate and contribute concrete ideas and policy proposals to the T20.

What is the T20?

The Think Tank 20 (T20) is the international network of think tanks, researchers and policy experts associated with the G20. Established as a formal engagement group under Mexico’s G20 Presidency in 2012, it provides research, policy ideas and recommendations that can inform discussions among G20 policymakers.

Through thematic workstreams, policy papers, consultations and international convenings, the T20 creates a bridge between research communities and the G20 process. It does not negotiate or adopt G20 decisions; rather, it provides a space in which experts from different countries and regions can identify emerging challenges, test policy solutions and contribute new thinking to global economic governance.

The T20 process follows the rotating G20 Presidency, with think tanks in the host country typically taking a leading role in convening and coordinating its work. In 2026, the T20 U.S. network is bringing together think tanks and experts through an international Advisory Council and five thematic workstreams.

Explore the T20 U.S. process here.

Bringing a stronger European contribution to the T20

Europe has a distinctive contribution to make to debates about the future of global governance — from its experience of regional integration and multilateral cooperation to its approaches to technological governance, climate action, trade and social inclusion.

Re-Imagine Europa created the T20 EU High-Level Group to bring these perspectives together and strengthen their contribution to the international T20 process.

At a time when the multilateral system itself is under pressure, the initiative also seeks to ensure that European ideas and experience contribute to debates about how global cooperation can adapt and remain effective.

The Group provides strategic assessment of issues under discussion within the G20 and develops proposals that can feed into T20 consultations, policy notes, thematic workshops, public conferences and international dialogues. It also identifies emerging questions where European expertise can contribute to wider global discussions.

Its work is organised around six interconnected fields:

• Global cooperation — exploring how Europe can build effective partnerships in an increasingly fragmented international system, including with emerging economies and the Global South.
• Digital transformation — examining how artificial intelligence and digital technologies can contribute to innovation, inclusive economic growth and democratic societies, while strengthening international cooperation on their governance.
• Energy and climate — connecting the green transition with economic resilience, social inclusion and international cooperation.
• Economy and finance — addressing questions including international monetary stability, debt, development finance and the reform of the international financial architecture.
• Security and global governance — exploring avenues for cooperation in a context of geopolitical rivalry and considering how multilateral institutions can adapt to a changing global order.
• Trade — examining the future of the multilateral trading system, resilient value chains and opportunities for cooperation between Europe and international partners.

Across these areas lies a broader question at the heart of the Group’s work: how can the G20 remain relevant and contribute to better global governance in a changing multilateral world order?

From digital transformation to a new model for growth

One of the first concrete contributions emerging from Re-Imagine Europa’s engagement in the T20 concerns the transformation of economies through artificial intelligence. Maria João Rodrigues was invited to join the Coordination Team of the T20 U.S. Advisory Council, connecting the work of the European High-Level Group with the wider international T20 network. The T20 U.S. currently lists her among the members of this Coordination Team.

Her Policy Solutions paper, A New Growth Model Driven by Digital Transformation and AI, asks how the G20 can help countries harness digital transformation to generate prosperity, competitiveness and jobs. It proposes an exchange of national experiences on how digital transformation and AI can support a new model of growth adapted to different economic and social contexts.

The T20 EU High-Level Group

The High-Level Group brings together senior figures with experience spanning European and national institutions, international organisations, academia, research and global governance.

Field	HLG member(s)
General coordination	Maria João Rodrigues
Global cooperation	Stefano Manservisi; Gerhard Stahl
Digital	Manuel Castells; Maria João Rodrigues; Paul Timmers
Energy and climate	Sandrine Dixson-Declève
Economy and finance	Paolo Guerrieri; Stefan Collignon
Security	Giovanni Grevi; Małgorzata Bonikowska
Trade	Maarten Smeets

Please find their biographies here.