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ECPR General Conference, Reykjavik (25th - 27th Aug 2011)Panel 503The panel aims to examine the circulation of ideas across networks of non-state organizations (Think Tanks, NGOs, Foundations) spanning the European Area. Precisely it aims to trace the creation and animation of intellectual and/or entrepreneurial expertise on policy-making and relations between problem-solving levels and frames on broader bodies of knowledge. Historically some of these foundations and think tanks were funded by specific actors such as the United States with the goal to implement particular views or to facilitate debates. However, having understood the limits of State-centred action, certain actors (as for instance Soros networks) have become more independent of the national level and hold their own international agenda, as witnessed in the European arena. As a consequence, a new network-based transnational private diplomacy is developing in specific policy fields such as economy, education or climate change. Generally funded by private business and by some governments as well, these networks are organizational actors specialized in gathering and assembling forms of authority conferred by the more established institutions of academics, politics, business and the media. Hybrid interstitial policy fields are emerging, where new actors already play a major role in the conception and implementation of policy ideas. Our Panel aims, consequently, to assess the relevance of democratic norms such as transparency, accountability and participation of policy-making institutions as far as it concerns the kind of knowledge produced or facilitated by these actors. Finally, it aims to study the interplay of negotiations between European players at all scales and responsibility.All paper proposals should be sent as Word file and contain:    Title and number of panel    Title of paper    Name, institutional affiliation and email of the presenter(s)    Abstract (max 300 words)    Up to five keywordsPaper proposals will be submitted via email directly to the panel convenors by 31 January 2011    Xavier Carpentier-Tanguy (xtanguy@ces.uc.pt) - Panel Chair - Institution: Centro de Estudos Sociais    Luca Barani (lbarani@ulb.ac.be) - Panel Co-Chair - Institution: Universit&#233; Libre deBruxelles.&#160;&#160;http://www.ecprnet.eu/conferences/general_conference/Reykjavik/panel_details.asp?panelid=503