The former Finnish president, Martti Ahtisaari, is to head the first ever pan-European centre for policy development.
The European Council on Foreign Relations, which was launched today, aims to develop a more coherent and vigorous foreign policy in support of Europe's common interests and shared values.
It plans to attempt to tackle an increasing number of global challenges, including climate change, world poverty, nuclear proliferation and the surge of violent extremism.
The 50 founding members include former prime ministers, presidents, European commissioners, current and former parliamentarians and ministers, public intellectuals, and cultural figures from 27 EU member states.
Mr Ahtisaari, who is the UN's Special Envoy for Kosovo and was on Northern Ireland's decommissioning panel, will chair the board along with Joschka Fischer, former German Foreign Minister, and Mabel van Oranje, human rights activist and International Advocacy Director for the Open Society Institute.
Other members include political historian Timothy Garton Ash, former Hong Kong governor and EU Commissioner Chris Patten, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, soon to head the International Monetary Fund, as well as music producer Brian Eno and author Elif Shafak.
The founding members say they want to move the European Union out of an era of introspection, votes, and force it to face up to its global responsibilities.
