The Brussels Study Tour 2026 opened on 24 June with a welcoming cocktail reception at the Public Affairs Council’s Ambiorix Centre, hosted by President & CEO Nneka Chiazor.

Thursday’s full-day program began with Inês Reis’ introduction to the EU’s institutional and political framework, followed by a candid discussion with Brussels-based consultants Dagmara Franczak (Trilligent) and Mark Dober (Dober Partners) on advising organizations navigating EU engagement. Over lunch, EUMatrix’s Doru Frantescu shared tools for mapping EU policy developments. Participants then visited the European Commission, hearing from Stephen Davies on the institution’s strategic foresight work and Ulrich Trautmann on EU trade policy, before closing the day with POLITICO Europe’s Matthew Woelfel and Laura Greenhalgh over dinner, unpacking the Brussels media landscape.

Friday began at the European Parliament, where Jüri Laas outlined the President’s political priorities, followed by a working lunch on coalition-building with Laurent Donceel (Hydrogen Europe). Transparency International’s Raphaël Kergueno addressed ethical lobbying, and Salesforce’s Aliki Foinikopoulou and the Council’s Kristin Brackemyre shared practical reflections on public affairs strategy and stakeholder engagement, before Nneka Chiazor and João Sousa closed the tour with final thoughts on the future of the public affairs community.

Additional information for the group:
Key figures on Europe – 2025 edition – Key figures – Eurostat
Mark Dober – Best in Brussels report
Stephen Davies – The European Union, what it is and what it does.