PROFILE: ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AGENCIES IN THE 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 professionalism in these activities. In the Czech Republic there are quite a high number of companies dealing with activities of Public Affairs directly or within other activities.

The key objective of the association is to reach higher transparency and professionalism on the market.

Members

1. CEC Government Relations (Offices in Warsaw, Budapest, Prague and Bratislava, Network in Brussels, USA, Baltics (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine)
2. Euroffice Praha-Brussel ( Euroffice Praha – Brussel, a. s., cooperates with partners as needed for its services in the field of “public affairs” both in Brussels (e.g. EPPA- European Public Policy Advisers) and the Czech Republic (cooperation with PR agencies of our clients is often crucial).
3. Fleishman Hillard
4. Grayling Czech Republic
5. Merit Government Relations (part of the communications group Bison & Rose and exclusive partner of Burson Marsteller in the Czech Republic)
6. PAN Solutions (member of the FIPRA network of international public affairs companies)

Membership

1. 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 :

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

• Administration of public matters,
• Legislation monitoring and analyses,
• Relations to investors,
• Relations with local communities,
• Relations with governmental institutions;
• Relations with EU institutions and international organisations.Member pledges to comply with the Code of Conduct.

3. 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.

4. 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.

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

Code of Conduct

• To always act in accordance with the legal regulations of the Czech Republic.
• A final court ruling in a criminal or civil legal proceeding that declares acts of a person as contradictory to good manners or personal integrity makes the person concerned ineligible for the practice of Public Affairs services within the Association.
• To deal with institutions and provide services in accord with good manners. A PA agency is obliged to inform a client, if his/her goals or means are at variance with the law or good manners. Furthermore, it will decline to provide services to its client in a way that may contradict good manners.
• To refrain from pledges or guarantees, which are impossible to meet or which are not in accordance with good manners.
• To not employ or in other forms hire MPs, cabinet officials or their family members.
• To not employ or in other forms hire state employees, assistants of MPs or government officials.
• A PA agency’s representative, who is simultaneously serving as a member of a local or regional administration, must not advocate those interests of a client, which can be influenced from the position in the administration.
• A PA agency’s representative must strictly separate his/her profession from the activities related to the membership in a political party.
• To not provide financial or non-financial fulfilments to MPs, members of the cabinet or state officials for advocating client’s interests.
• A PA agency’s representative will not conceal or distort his/her identity or interests, which s/he is advocating, in dealing with persons or institutions. In the case when a client requests confidentiality of his/ her identity or nature of his/her interests, the agency will notify the third party.
• To provide most accurate and complete information, based on the inputs from a client, to a person or an institution, with whom/which the PA agency will launch negotiations in the interest of a client. Furthermore, interpretation of such information must be most accurate.
• To abide by the bylaws and regulations of the national, European and international institutions.
• In addition, to abide by Codes of Conduct of these institutions, if existent, in particular by those of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, European Parliament and European Commission.
• To respect principles and traditions of acquiring, distributing and publicizing parliament and government documents.
• PA agencies must not come into a conflict of interest.
• To not abuse information, which a PA agency has learned in the course of advocating client’s interests.