Russia is the 3rd largest trading partner of the EU and the EU ranks as Russia's number one trading partner, accounting for almost 41% of all trade.  Europe needs Russia’s gas, and Russia is a major market for EU-based companies that supply the bulk of Russia’s imports.

Here below is the situation for some key EU Member States:

As divisions deepen between the eastern and western regions of Ukraine, the backers of the putsch regime in Kiev portray Russia as a reckless aggressor to absolve their own responsibility for engineering the crisis.

Predictions 19 February 2014

Financed by the European Parliament, the Open Society Foundations, Burson-Marsteller and VoteWatch CIC

1. S& D: 221 Members 29.4% of total
2. EPP: 202 Members 26.9% of total
3. NI: 92 Members 12.3% of total
4. ALDE: 64 Members 8.5% of total
5. GUE/NGL: 56 Members 7.5% of total
6. G/EFA: 44 Members 5.9% of total
7. ECR: 30 Members 5.6% of total
8. EFD: 30 Members 4.0% of total

Total: 751 Members

1. Ms. Monique Pariat and Mr. Mihael Dumitru have been appointed by the European Commission as Deputy Directors-General in the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development.
2. Mr. Declan Costello has been appointed as Director of Economics of the Member States I in the Economic and Financial Affairs Directorate-General (ECOFIN)
3. The European Commission has appointed three new members of the Scientific Council, the governing body of the European Research Council (ERC).

The list here below is derived from Holmes’ World PR Report covering 250 agencies. The ranking is based on Revenues. Revenue numbers for many agencies include subsidiaries—including research, advertising, and specialist PR firms—many of which operate under separate brands but nevertheless report into the listed PR agency. The ranking of the company corresponds to the ranking among the top 250.

Now in its sixth year, the European Public Affairs Awards (EPA Awards) sets to unite the Public Affairs community to celebrate excellence and best practice across the industry. Three Associations essentially determine the Award (EPACA, SEAP and ECPA) and all three are interrelated to a greater extent. There are 8 categories that are considered:

Back in March 2013, Ipsos Public Affairs conducted a survey covering 24 countries around the world to determine their use of the  Internet and social media for public discourse on public policy, social and political issues. Their research revealed three key segments of online activity/behavior:

The term profession essentially means a generic category of a particular type of occupation, usually one that involves knowledge, a service and an extended period of education, training and work experience with an experienced practitioner that has been practicing for a number of years. Professionalization is the process by which an occupation seeks to promote itself or is  promoted by external agents into a professional occupation. Professionalization is about movement towards becoming a profession.

While there are communities of practice for engineers, marketers, manufacturing specialists, geologists, architects, lawyers and countless other professionals, there was an absence of a Community of Practice (CoP) for practitioners within the broad field of public policy advocacy, government relations and public affairs. Hence the decision by AALEP to rectify this situation and our launch of a Community of Practice specifically for people who are involved in our profession.

Communities of Practice require a number of key roles to be filled. These need not necessarily be a single individual working full time. They are revolving roles much like everyone taking turn at being a scribe at business meetings.

Champion: The Champion ensures support at the highest level, communicates the purpose, promotes the community and insures impact.