It would be a mistake to suppose that AALEP exists to serve the narrow, self-directed and parochial interests of its individual members, even though it is directly supportive in a constructive sense of those whose business is Public Affairs, Advocacy and Lobbying. Efforts in continuing education, professional standards and economics should expand. There is an obvious benefit to both the Public Affairs practitioners and the public in a proficient, efficient and disciplined organisation whose members render high quality services and perform according to high ethical standards.

In spite of all the external threats to Public Affairs practitioners, a more serious threat is the threat of apathy. The dictionary defines apathy as a state of indifference or the suppression of passion, emotion or excitement also, the lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting. The opposite of apathy is enthusiasm, fervour, concern and passion. Excuses such as lacking the time, the money and the energy for what is perceived as the 'extras' of being involved in professional activities are just ways of escaping but by doing so we deny our personal growth.

Public Affairs can no longer be constrained within national boundaries. We believe the way Public Affairs is practiced, taught and understood in each European country will shape the market for government relations services and will have profound implications for the future of our profession. For this reason there's a need to develop a strong pan-European professional cohesion in the field of Public Affairs and to facilitate the networking of outstanding professionals that extends far beyond Brussels-based practitioners.

AALEP is looking at the new economies of the world for expansion because it is convinced that collaborative efforts with local lobbyists will provide opportunities to build mutually beneficial knowledge and trust. Today the top ten largest economies in terms of total GDP measured at purchasing power parity (PPP) are the USA, China, Japan, India, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom (UK), France, Brazil and Italy.

Russia is a tough market but a good one. By 2020, Russia will rank higher than Germany in the top ten economies of the world in terms of GDP measured at Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) terms and become the fifth largest economy behind China, USA, India and Japan. Russia is set to become the largest consumer market within ten years. That means no global consumer-foods, financial, auto or food company can really afford to ignore it.  The evidence is everywhere: from U.S. drinks giant PepsiCo Inc.

Despite serious corruption problem, Russia has all the essential bribery prohibitions on the books. That said, Russia anti-bribery norms, unfortunately do not appear in a single document, but rather are scattered across a number of codes and federal laws.

Figuring out the number of Brussels-based lobbyists is indeed difficult. Taking the European Parliament as a first step, you have to go the European Parliament website (www.europarl.europa.eu), then click on Parliament, then click on In Detail, scroll down on the left-hand side column and you will see Accredited Lobbyists. You can search either by organisation or by name. You will see that there are currently 1,789 organisations that are registered and 2,821 individuals holding a Long-Term Access Pass.

Adopting a code of conduct is not sufficient. Much time and energy is usually spent in designing, formulating and adopting a code but many institutions stop there. The code remains a ‘paper’ tiger and is never implemented or monitored. The future challenge should be to utilize the dynamics which have emerged from the formulation of the code. This will support a continuous process of reflection on the central values and standards contained in the code. Different EU institutions should have their specific rules and standards that fit their institutional needs and particularities.

Portugal is going to need a gigantic bailout of at least € 70 billion . The European Financial Stability Facility (temporary rescue facility) is currently at € 250 billion and EU officials want to expand it to € 440 billion. Already € 177 billion has been loaned by the wealthier nations of the EU to bail out Greece and Ireland. What could be the worst scenario in Spain: The Spanish property market would fall so hard that the country's struggling regional banks known as cajas would need more money to cover their losses than the Spanish state can raise.

AALEP would like to propose the following Principles of Engagement with MEPs   Lobbyists shall observe the following principles when engaging with MEPs: (a) lobbyists shall not engage in any conduct that is corrupt, dishonest or illegal, or unlawfully cause or threaten any detriment (b) lobbyists shall use all reasonable endeavours to satisfy themselves of the truth and accuracy of all statements and information provided by them to clients whom they represent, the wider public and MEPs (c) lobbyists shall not make misleading, exaggerated or extravagant claims about, or otherwise misrepresen