In 1998 the Sussex European Institute was designated a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence.

The European Centres of Excellence project was launched by the European Commission to allow universities to concentrate their resources in the field of European Integration and to develop activities both within the universities and at a regional level.

The achievement of designation as a Centre of Excellence is recognition of the growing strengths of the Sussex European Institute which is now clearly established among the leading research and postgraduate centres in Europe dealing with the study of contemporary Europe. The EU funding that accompanies this prestigious status will be used to enable the Institute to expand its links with the world of practice and applied expertise. In particular, the Institute is developing activities with the media to enable academic insights to be fed into the public debate and the development of policy.

In addition to the extra funding, the designation of Sussex as a European University Centre of Excellence brings the University into close contact with Europe's policy-makers. The network of Jean Monnet Centres is increasingly involved in advising the European Commission on its strategy for enlargement of the EU and its institutional reforms.

There are only 25 such centres in the EU and designation is a recognition of the excellent work done at the Sussex European Institute in focusing on European issues