Brussels Study Tour
16 & 17 May 2019
Brussels
Brussels
The Brussels study tour is a unique opportunity for public affairs senior executives to have a first-hand immersive experience in the European Union’s public affairs, advocacy and lobby environment right before the May 2019 European Parliamentary elections.
Featured Topic & Speakers
The study tour comprises visits to the main EU institutions, informal conversations with senior public officials and advisors, as well as briefing sessions by PAC experts and public affairs managers with a solid knowledge of interest representation in Brussels.
Who is it for?
Public affairs professionals working in the US, Europe or Asia with interest in the changing political and advocacy landscape in the EU. All sectors and industries are welcome as the program focuses on how-to’s, best practices, networking, and open discussion with professionals on the ground.
Topics include:
- How the EU works in practice
- Channeling your interests into the EU decision- and policy-making process
- The European Parliament elections — context, scenarios, impact
- Lobbying the EU from multiple perspectives:
- Meeting with senior corporate lobbyists
- Discussions with trade association directors
- Understanding EU-focused NGOs
- Meeting with European Commission, European Parliament and other officials/diplomats
- Media in Brussels: what to consider when engaging with journalists
- EU funding opportunities for corporations
- International organizations in Brussels : UN, World Bank, …
Agenda
Day 1
9:00 Welcome and Intro
András Baneth
Managing Director, European Office
Public Affairs Council
9:30 Overview of key EU institutions & agencies
- European Commission, European Parliament, Council of Ministers
- EU agencies, advisory, financial and consultative EU institutions
- How to lobby EU institutions: transparency, ethics and tips
João Sousa
Manager, European Office
Public Affairs Council
András Baneth
Managing Director, European Office
Public Affairs Council
10:45 Coffee & networking break
11:00 EU public affairs in practice: salaries, agencies, elections and trends [panel discussion]
- Discussion with senior EU public affairs professionals
- Navigating the EU legal and administrative procedures, incl. “comitology”
- Brussels recruitment trends
- What works and what doesn’t in the EU context
András Baneth
Managing Director, European Office
Public Affairs Council
James Stevens
Partner
Rud Pedersen Public Affairs
Mark Dober
Managing Director, Brussels
Ellwood Atfield
12:30 Lunch at Poivre et Sel with guest speaker
Nicholas Aiossa
Interim Director
Transparency International EU Office
14:00 Guided visit to, and presentation of the European Parliament by a senior official / political advisor
- How does the European Parliament work, and how to influence MEPs?
- An insider’s perspective on context, trends and scenarios for the May 2019 elections
Adam Mouchtar
Managing Director, EU40;
Special political, strategical and communication advisor to three Members of the European Parliament;
Director, EU Affairs Office Brussels,
The Inter-University Center for Terrorism Studies
Hugo Cordova
Policy advisor at the ITRE (Industry, Trade, Research) Committee Secretariat;
Coordinator of the European Parliament’s STOA (Science and Technology Advice) working group
16:30 How trade associations represent their members’ interests
- AmchamEU’s award-winning European advocacy
Stefano Marmo
Associate Policy Manager
AmCham EU
17:30 Break
19:30 Dinner at Meet & Meat with guest speaker
Iverna McGowan
Co-founder, Zentrix Consulting
Former Head of EU Advocacy at
Amnesty International
21:30 End of day 1
Day 2
9:10 EP elections and their implication for European lobbying
Doru Frantescu
Co-founder and CEO
VoteWatch Europe
10:15 Accessing EU funds: research funds and other opportunities for corporations
- Forms of funding available for research, regional projects, staff training, relocation
- Understanding EU project lifecycles, financing methods and timelines
Ruth Estrada
Partner
Schuman Associates
11:30 Visit to the European Commission – Cabinet of Vice President Šefčovič
- The European Commission’s importance in shaping technical files
- How discussions with industry and other stakeholders are channeled into policy-making
- If time allows, participants could attend the EC Midday press briefing (around 12:00)
Adalbert Jahnz
Member of Cabinet of Vice-President M. Šefčovič
European Commission
12:45 Lunch with a senior PA executive
- Challenges & opportunities of interest representation in Brussels
- The importance of alliances and coalition building
- The EU and international businesses — partners or adversaries?
Aaron McLoughlin
Executive Director,
Public Affairs, Sustainability,
European Chemical Industry Council – Cefic
14:30 Final Q&A session and conclusions
15:30 Reception at PAC’s European office and end of the study tour
Event Location
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