AALEP has elaborated the most comprehensive framework to-date for professional development in Lobbying, Public Affairs and Government Relations. The framework comprises 1. Essential Knowledge required including over 100 courses broken down by topics  2. Required Skills and 3. Required Abilities. Possessing the right academic and professional qualifications as a knowledge base is what will enable practitioners to practice the profession professionally.

Today in Europe, Lobbying, Public Affairs (PA) and Government Relations (GR) practitioners suffer from low recognition, a shortage of qualified practitioners, a lack of regulation and a lack of credibility. Althoug the industry has grown at a fast pace, especially at the Brussels level, the profession has not yet matured in terms of achieving professional status in the eyes of society as a whole. It is precisely due to the lack of any appropriate regulations that quasi-lobbying in many member states is perceived as an activity which is illegitimate, privy of a narrow circle and latent.

AALEP has undertaken a complete survey of all existing national professional lobbying associations. In Europe, the associations usually encompass far more than the lobbying profession They almost always are dominated by other public relations professionals. Indeed public relations professionals significantly outnumber their lobbyist colleagues. Nonetheless, public affairs specialists who communicate with government officials and attempt to influence public policy are well represented in professional public relations associations.

The major consequence of the crisis is that it has put financial questions at the heart of European politics. Lobbyists are being forced to adjust their positions as circumstances change. The crisis has led the Brussels offices of many companies to take more an of an interest in financial matters than they did in the past. Businesses are seeking to defend their interests as borrowers.