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  • Projects and activities | Last updated: 10 Jul 2025
Behavioural Insights for EU (BI4EU)
Behavioural insights

Context

An ECDC survey in 2021 found uneven spread of capacity for behavioural and social science research during the COVID-19 pandemic in the EU.

The BI4EU project aims to identify good practices in establishing and maintaining effective, national Behavioural Insights (BI) units and activities on public health issues in the EU/EEA. The project complements work by EU Member State and international organizations and provides technical know-how to support the implementation of public health policies and collaboration between countries in emergencies.

 

Goals

This exploratory research activity aims to assess barriers and facilitators to the implementation of social and behavioural research findings to public health decision-making in four countries with different administrative systems.

 

Methods

This activity includes qualitative investigations in four EU Member States, producing short reports and material for discussion at an expert workshop.

 

Expected outcomes

The project aims to support the development of a conceptual framework that can facilitate countries in bringing behavioural and social insights to the attention of decision makers in a meaningful and actionable way, contributing to the effective implementation of public health policies.

 

Project outputs

Behavioural Insights for public health in the EU

Cover

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries in the EU / European Economic Area have established applied behavioural and social science, or ‘Behavioural Insights’ (BI), units or networks to make recommendations to decision-makers on actionable policy and communications. On the basis of key-informant interviews in four EU Member States with different administrative systems – Spain, Italy, Portugal and Slovenia – this report (1) explores good practices in establishing and maintaining effective national BI units/networks and activities; (2) identifies barriers to and facilitators of the implementation of BI research findings; and (3) explores how to support efforts to retain and institutionalise BI expertise developed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The qualitative assessment concludes that BI units in the public health area are still in the early stages of development in the countries participating in this study. Key informants in our case study feel that decision-makers’ support still depends on individual people and BI is not yet fully embedded in the decision process. Efforts by BI units and larger organisations may be needed to facilitate an increased speed at which the institutionalisation of BI can be achieved. Based on the interview findings, the authors make some recommendations to support this process.

Behavioural Insights (BI) for EU: a case study on embedding BI into public health policy-making

Many EU/EEA countries have applied behavioural and social science capacities (“Behavioural Insights”) to provide recommendations for decision-makers for the planning of actions, policies and communications in response to COVID-19. Based on interviews with 11 experts working in the area of behavioural insights for public health in four EU member states with different administrative systems (Slovenia, Italy, Spain, Portugal) this project aimed to (1) explore good practices in establishing and maintaining effective national BI capacities and infrastructures in public health; (2) identify barriers and facilitators to the implementation of BI within the administrative systems of the countries considered; and (3) explore how to provide support in retaining and institutionalising BI expertise created during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interviewees perceived the BI teams and activities in their respective countries to be in the early stage of development, either in the phase of initiation or adoption. Based on the input by participants, we emphasize the need to increase awareness regarding the relevance of BI for public health questions and making BI an integral discipline in public health institutions and policy making. The contributions that are possible within the European Union structures to further encourage this process include furthering the connection between experts and stakeholders, developing European wide knowledge platforms, competence centres and training activities, advocating for and supporting global resolutions, financing pilot projects and research that further explores the different infrastructures for an effective integration of BI in public health systems.

 

Latest knowledge from this Project