Maison de l'Europe de Paris

What Maison de l'Europe de Paris does

Maison de l'Europe de Paris is a non-profit civic association founded in 1956 under French law 1901 and recognised as being of public utility by decree in 1973. It promotes active and inclusive European citizenship through public education, conferences, and information services for residents of Paris and the Île-de-France region, regardless of nationality or prior familiarity with EU affairs. The association is governed by a board of directors under President Michel Derdevet, with Catherine Lalumière serving as Honorary President, and operates with a small core team of approximately six paid staff supported by Service Civique volunteers.

The association's core service is the Europe Direct Paris information centre, operated under a grant agreement with the European Commission's DG Communication as one of 52 such centres in France and roughly 500 across the EU. Its product portfolio spans the École Ambassadrice du Parlement européen school programme, the Happy EU mobility-awareness project, the LEAP-STEP energy-precarity action plan, the Speak Up diversity initiative, the Fake News disinformation-awareness project, and the Pop Europe mobile application, alongside over 100 free public conferences and debates annually and approximately 30 articles and interviews each year on European affairs.

All public-facing services are free. Revenue comes from individual and corporate donations (qualifying for 66% and 60% French income-tax deductions respectively under the association's public-utility status), membership fees processed via HelloAsso, and rental of its 123-seat conference hall and 40-seat meeting room to associations and organisations hosting European-themed events. The association is a member of the Fédération Française des Maisons de l'Europe and relocated to new, larger premises at the Pavillon de l'Eau in Paris's 16th arrondissement on 27 May 2024.

Name

Maison de l'Europe de Paris

Legal name

Maison de l'Europe de Paris

Website

https://paris-europe.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Non-profit civic association founded in 1956 that promotes European citizenship in Paris through the Europe Direct information centre, free public conferences, youth programmes (DiscoverEU, École Ambassadrice), and venue rentals, funded by donations, memberships, and an EU Commission grant.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Education and EU Information Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonprofit, Social Services & Community Development Congresses (THAHAJAO)

Keywords

• European citizen education
• EU information services
• Civic engagement events
• European affairs conferences
• Youth European programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations (Individuals): Individual donors contribute to support the association's activities. The association is recognized as a public utility (reconnue d'utilité publique) since 1973, allowing donors to benefit from a 66% income tax reduction on donations.
2. Membership fees: Annual membership fees from individual and organizational members. Members can join online via HelloAsso platform.
3. Room rental and venue services: The association rents out its conference facilities (123-person capacity main hall and 40-person meeting room) to associations and organizations for European-themed events, subject to conditions and priority given to events organized in partnership with the association itself.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Maison de l'Europe de Paris is a non-profit civic association (loi 1901, recognized as being of public utility since 1973) that provides free public information on European Union policies, organizes conferences and debates on European affairs, runs youth education programmes including DiscoverEU and the École Ambassadrice du Parlement européen, operates the Europe Direct Paris information centre, and rents out its conference facilities. Its activities cover cultural, democratic, educational, economic, and social dimensions of European citizenship for the general public in Paris and Île-de-France.

Product overview

Maison de l'Europe de Paris operates as a civic association (loi 1901, recognized d'utilité publique since 1973) focused on European citizenship education and public information. The organization offers a portfolio of European engagement projects including Happy EU, LEAP-STEP, Speak Up, Fake News, Pop Europe, and the École Ambassadrice du Parlement européen program. It operates the Centre Europe Direct Paris as part of the EU-wide information network, provides conference facilities for events, and organizes regular conferences and debates on European affairs. The organization is member of the Fédération Française des Maisons de l'Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Centre Europe Direct Paris: Part of the Europe Direct network managed by the European Commission, providing EU information and services to citizens in Paris.
• Happy EU
• LEAP-STEP
• Speak Up
• Fake News
• Pop Europe
• École Ambassadrice du Parlement européen

Products and services

• Centre Europe Direct Paris EU information centre providing personalized information services to citizens about EU policies, programmes, and priorities, with answers on rights to work, study, or travel in the EU.
• Conference Facilities (Salles) Conference rooms and meeting spaces available for rent, including a main conference hall with 123-person capacity and a meeting room with 40-person capacity, with priority given to events co-organized with the association.
• Événements et conférences Organization of events, conferences, and debates on European topics covering themes including agriculture, citizenship, climate, culture, defence, energy, geopolitics, and youth.
• Pop Europe Mobile and tablet application providing European news and information access.
• École Ambassadrice du Parlement européen

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 free conferences and debates per year open to the general public
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Reporters d'EspoirsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Annual partnership to promote the 'European Young Reporter Prize' (Prix européen du jeune reporter), highlighting solutions journalism while promoting Francophony across the continent.
• La Rec7minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Digital content creation company. The La Rec7 team produces informative and educational videos on European topics throughout the year, which are then shared on social media channels.
• GymglishminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Online language learning platform founded in 2004, offering concise and personalized courses in German, Spanish, English, and French (via Frantastique). Promotes digital education for students worldwide through engaging learning experiences and long-term retention.
• Euromed-IHEDNminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation bringing together alumni and executives of IHEDN international Euromed sessions. Promotes knowledge of the euro-mediterranean region, deepens international relations, and contributes to reflection on euro-mediterranean defence and security issues.
• Fédération Française des Maisons de l'Europe (FFME)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational federation of Maisons de l'Europe (European Houses) in France. The Maison de l'Europe de Paris is a member, enabling participation in a national network of similar organizations promoting European citizenship at local level across France.
• European Commission (Direction Générale Communication)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEurope Direct Paris operates as a centre of the European Commission's Europe Direct network, funded through a grant agreement with DG Communication. The centre serves as a local contact point for EU citizen information, part of a network of approximately 500 centres across the EU and 52 in France.
• Club de la Presse EuropéennecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual co-organization of the Prix de l'Initiative Européenne (European Initiative Prize) since its creation in 2004, recognizing outstanding European journalism and communication. The 21st edition was held in December 2024.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Goethe-Institut: Germany's international cultural and educational institution offering language, civic engagement, and cultural programming — same operating archetype as a publicly-recognized non-profit delivering European cultural and educational content.
• British Council: International cultural and educational organization with similar public-engagement, youth programme, and information-services model — comparable as a national-level cultural diplomacy institution even though geographically distinct.
• Institut français: French public agency under the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs promoting French culture abroad through events, education, and partnerships — comparable mission-driven public-utility operating model with European cultural-diplomacy scope.
• Alliance Française: Global cultural and educational non-profit with a Paris footprint delivering programming, events, and venue rental — comparable operating model (mission-driven association, public utility status, programming + venue revenue).

Direct peers

• Mouvement Européen France: French pro-European civil society federation that mobilizes citizens, organizes debates, and advocates for European integration — directly overlapping with Maison de l'Europe de Paris's conference and civic-engagement mission.
• European Parliament Liaison Office in France: EU institutional presence in France delivering citizen information, youth engagement (Ambassador School programme), and public events — directly overlapping target audience and programming content.
• Fédération Française des Maisons de l'Europe: National federation of which Maison de l'Europe de Paris is a member; coordinates a network of similar French civic associations promoting European citizenship at local level, sharing programmes, funding access, and an overlapping audience base.
• Club de la Presse Européenne: Direct partner of Maison de l'Europe de Paris that co-organizes the Prix de l'Initiative Européenne; brings together European journalists and media figures with a directly overlapping European-affairs information mission.
• Europe Direct centres (other French and EU locations): The ~500 Europe Direct centres across the EU (52 in France) operate the same EU-citizen information mandate, often under co-financing and shared branding with the European Commission — the closest direct functional peers.

Regional players

• CIDAL (Centre d'Information et de Documentation de l'Ambassade d'Espagne): Country-specific European information service in Paris with a similar walk-in information and cultural-diplomacy mandate, though focused on Spain rather than the EU as a whole.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MdEuropeParis
• Facebookfacebook.com/maisoneuropeparis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maison-de-l'europe-de-paris
• Instagraminstagram.com/maisoneuropeparis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Maison de l'Europe de Paris