Ton van den Brink studied European and International law in Nijmegen and Stockholm. In 2004 he received a PHD at the Erasmus University Rotterdam with a thesis on the implementation of EU legislation in the Dutch law system.

From 2005 to 2009 he was researcher at the Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR). He led a research group which prepared WRR report 78: Rediscovering Europe in The Netherlands, and a research group which prepared WRR report 85 on the reorientation of the Dutch foreign policy, including European affairs. He also contributed to WRR report 81: Steering on infrastructures and 82: Uncertain safety.

Van den Brink has been involved in various commissioned reports and research projects, such as a project on the implementation of EU legislation for the Ministry of Justice and a report for the European Parliament on Checks and Balances in Soft EU-Rule Making.

Ton regularly trains professionals on aspects of EU law and policy and has lectured, presented and discussed his research at numerous universities across Europe.