ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AGENCIES-CZECH REPUBLIC (APAA)

The Association of Public Affairs Agencies (APAA) was launched in May 2012. Individual companies participating in the association are convinced of the usefulness of this field and the necessity of high professional standards in the conduct of such activities. In the Czech Republic there are quite a high number of companies dealing with public affairs activities either directly or as part of other activities. The key objective of the association is to reach higher transparency and professionalism on the market.

APAA's Objectives and Activity Focus:

1. APAA associates personal and legal entities, which provide services in the field of communication with Public Affairs agencies with a goal to harmonize private and public interests, enhance mutual communication between business sphere and state administration, contribute to mutual understanding among people, interest groups and institutions and promote harmonization of various interests within the society.
2. APAA seeks transparency and openness in the area of providing Public Affairs services through registration of APAA's members and supervision over their compliance with the Code of Conduct.
3. APAA guarantees professionalism of its members and observes high professional level of its member PA agencies and their employees.
4. APAA creates a space for discussions and solutions of common professional and other problems. The Association pays heed to the development within the field and education of its members through organised seminars, conferences and various meetings.
5. APAA conducts public enlightment with an aim to strengthen public understanding of the public affairs field and its contribution to the functioning of the democratic society.
6. APAA represents the interests of its members in relation to international organisations.

According to its statutes:

1) APAA allows two categories of membership: regular (for legal entities only) and associated (for personal entities).

2) Any legal entity, which agrees with APAA’s statutes, complies with the statutes and regulations of APAA’s bodies and complies with following conditions, may become APAA’s full member :

a) Member is registered as a business entity that provably provides consultancy and organisation activities in some of below mentioned areas of Public Affairs:

i. administration of public matters,

ii. legislation monitoring and analyses,

iii. relations to investors,

iv. relations with local communities,

v. relations with governmental institutions;

vi. relations with EU institutions and international organisations.

b) Member pledges to comply with the Code of Conduct, which is a supplement to the Statutes.

c) Member must employ a minimum of three consultants, while at least two of them must demonstrate two-year professional experience in the field of Public Affairs.

d) Member must operate for a minimum of 1.5 year in the area of Public Affairs, during which it acts as an independent legal entity, whose significant area of enterprise is to provide services within the field of Public Affairs.

e) Member must submit references from a minimum of two of his current clients. References will be a part of the membership application form.

APPA Current Members include:

1. CEC Government Relations (with offices in Warsaw, Poland, Budapest, Hungary, Prague, Czech Republic and Bratislava, Slovakia)
2. Euro Office Praha Brusel AS
3. Fleishman Hillard Czech Republic
4. Grayling Czech Republic
5. Merit Government Relations
6. Pan Solutions