The European Association of Communication Directors (EACD), founded in Brussels in November 2006 by over 100 in-house communicators from 23 countries, is the network for communication professionals from all fields across Europe. It was established to promote diversity, overcome cultural barriers and formulate communicative norms in order to ensure quality and foster professionalism in communications. The association currently has over 2,300 members.

It is incumbent upon the GR industry  

• To map and understand the actions and activities of GR Practitioners specifically in the European landscape;
• To build knowledge and understanding of what GR Practitioners do, but also what skills and knowledge they need to develop to have a shared meaning and understanding of the practice.

Our main focus should be to develop a better understanding of the competencies held by GR Practitioners and the contributing knowledge, skills and personal attributes that are relevant to their role. This calls for:

2016 will see dramatic changes in Ireland’s Public Affairs landscape. There will be a new Dáil elected this Spring with a new Government appointed, while the first returns were made in January under the Regulation of Lobbying Act adopted in 2015. Those working in Public Affairs will be exposed to an unprecedented level of scrutiny and transparency.

This Code was adopted by the 20th annual general meeting of members of the Public Relations Institute of Ireland, held in Dublin on 08 December 2003 The Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII) believes that professional public affairs practice and lobbying are proper, legitimate and important activities, which ensure an open two-way communication between national and local government (including the Oireachtas, the entire public service, as well as other bodies funded wholly or mainly from public funds), the institutions of the European Union (EU) and bodies whose activities and interes

The BVPA stimulates the development of the PA field, provides a knowledge platform for the profession and promotes the interests of public affairs professionals in the Netherlands. The Association counts 600 members who are working as public affairs professionals in companies, trade associations, consulting firms, NGOs or governments.

EU LEVEL

1. AALEP- Association of Accredited Public Policy Advocates to the European Union
2. EPACA- European Public Affairs Consultancies’ Association
3. PACE- Public Affairs Community of Europe
4. SEAP- Society of European Affairs Professionals

EU Member States

Government Relations (GR) is an educational process mixed in with a liberal amount of advocacy. Simply put, it is an essential component of any business that is subject to government regulations.

At its core, Government Relations is an educational process: educating business and industry leaders about governmental process; educating officials about the issues important to business or other constituencies; and educating governmental and business leaders, and the public, about the potential consequences of legislation.

AALEP believes that a deeper knowledge of what GR is about and does among the general public would help increase GR professional credibility and would work as a stimulus for further professionalism. The question of obtaining recognition by public authorities is not, however settled throughout Europe. Some believe that an increment of GR professional credibility will lead to a concrete recognition by public authorities; others think that it is public authorities that will lead to professional credibility.

The International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) is the voice of public relations consultancies around the world. The ICCO membership comprises national trade associations in 32 countries across the globe: from Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australasia. Collectively, these associations represent over 2,500 PR firms.

ICCO provides a forum for senior management of the world's best PR consultancies to meet and address issues of mutual interest and concerns.

Institutionalising GR can take place either internally or externally in organisations. External institutionalisation of GR, either by law or public recognition, does not imply an internal institutionalisation (within an organisation and clients). The process of institutionalisation is inevitably connected to the level of credibility and professionalism that our profession demonstrates. It is much dependent on our credibility as GR Practitioners. Credibility is the probability of being believed.