EPPA Partnership scrl
2 Place Du Luxembourg
B-1050 Brussels
Belgium
Contact: Pascal Michaux
Tel: +32 (0)2 735 8230
Fax: +32 (0)2 735 4412
EPPA Partnership scrl is at the centre of the EPPA network, located within a stone’s throw of the European institutions, the Belgian government and the European headquarters of many multinationals and organisations. EPPA has been present in Brussels for almost 20 years, being a pioneer in advice on public policies and management of European issues for business and governments.
EPPA partners (6) and associates (15) provide their clients with know-how and experience in the field of Societal, Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs Management, offering a complete package of services. Over the years, EPPA has developed or managed regulatory proposals of policy initiatives which have brought incalculable commercial benefits to its clients. Its handling of complex and sensitive regulatory issues in 2004 alone have saved clients hundreds of millions of euros.
EPPA Partnership has been able to achieve these successes thanks to its multi-disciplinary teams composed of lawyers, economists and experts in policy affairs, some of whom have been in leading public positions themselves. The Brussels office is multi-national and is able to operate in all key Member States and major EU languages.
EPPA measures part of its success in the way knowledge and capabilities are transferred to its clients in order for them to become increasingly self-reliant in managing their societal, political and regulatory surroundings. EPPA prides itself on having long-term clients for which it has made lasting contributions in terms of assets and profits.
EPPA Partnership operates within its own strict ethical code and according to the highest professional benchmarks in management and public affairs consultancy. The EPPA Partnership is an active member of the EPACA (European Public Affairs Consultancies Association).
Renato Addis holds a Masters degree in International and European Law from Leiden University (The Netherlands) and various additional certificates in Dutch Law.
Renato undertook research for and provided advice to a specialised financial services consultancy in the area of EU financial services and published on Single Market issues in general and the liberalisation of the EU financial services sector in particular. He had various assignments related to the EU and Dutch life insurance and pension sector and worked with the European Commission and the European Parliament in this area. He held a position in the European Commission, Directorate-General External Affairs, representing the Commission on numerous occasions in the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, preparing reports and briefings, and coordinating between the Directorate-General and the Cabinet of the Commissioner.
Renato joined EPPA in 1995 and specialises in highly regulated and complex industry sectors bridging specific client interests with broader political and socio-economic imperatives. His current activities mainly focus on the chemicals, agricultural, environmental, consumer protection and transport sectors. His experience includes activities in veterinary medicine, animal welfare, financial services, postal and sport sectors. He operates in all the EU Institutions and has experience in leading pan-European campaigns and steering dedicated client-consultant teams.
He is involved in the promotion of knowledge and understanding of European integration and lectures on this subject.
He is fluent in Dutch, English, French and German and speaks Italian.
Sharon Leclercq-Spooner - Partner
Sharon Leclercq-Spooner holds a BA Special Honours in European Studies from the University of Hull, UK, a M.A in International Politics from the Université Libre de Bruxelles and INSEAD young managers programme.
She joined EPPA in 1998 as Head of the International Trade Practice and provides policy analysis and strategic advice, especially in the issue areas of trade, agriculture, EU enlargement, taxation and corporate responsibility.
Sharon is a founding director of the now leading EU affairs internet portal EurActiv.Com PLC and Member of the Board of AmCham EU – the leading US business representation body to the EU.
Between 1990 and 1998 she worked for Philip Morris Corporate Services with responsibilities for policy analysis, policy influencing strategy, communications, coalition building, and lobbying. Sharon worked for both food (Kraft Jacobs Suchard) and tobacco interests dealing particularly with trade, taxation and agricultural issues. She has represented the company in numerous trade associations. She acted as Deputy Chair of the public affairs task force of the International Duty Free Confederation, which developed strategy and coordinated the implementation of the duty-free industry’s campaign.
Her career started in Brussels with an internship in the Commission’s Internal Market Directorate General. She is fluent in English and French.
Pascal Michaux - Partner
Pascal Michaux holds a Masters degree in Law from the Louvain Catholic University ( Belgium) and a M.A. in Intercultural Management from the HEC Brussels where he specialised in Asian management cultures and South East Asian business tactics.
Prior to joining EPPA in 1998, he gathered expertise in a Bangkok-based law firm negotiating real-estate transactions on behalf of European clients in former Indochina.
Whilst in the EP, he supported the MEPs who where members of the inter-parliamentary delegations for Asia, in their political analysis of EU-Asia relations. He joined the European Institute for Asian Affairs in 1996 as assistant to their Secretary General, in charge of political relations with Southeast Asian missions. Pascal was editor of the first official web site in 1997 on EU-Asia relations chaired by former Commissioner Willy De Clercq and supported by both the then presidents of the European Commission and Parliament.
Pascal is a Lecturer at Maastricht Euro MBA programme where he teaches on the impact of EU policies on business.
Since 2001, he has been responsible for the operation of the EPPA Brussels office, the largest of all the EPPA businesses. Pascal specialises in transport, agri-food, services and competition issues, with an extensive experience in leading pan-European campaigns and steering dedicated client-consultant teams.
He is fluent in French, English, Dutch and Italian.
Stefan Schepers - Partner, Founding Member of EPPA
Dr. Stefan Schepers holds Master degrees in law ( University of Leuven, Belgium) and in European studies ( University of Strasbourg, France) and a P.H.D. in political science ( University of Edinburgh, GB). He published ‘Essai historique sur le droit fédéral’ (1991) and numerous scientific articles.
Stefan was a senior researcher at the European Council of Regions and Municipalities, then worked for the Dutch Government on European projects. He became the founding director-general of the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA, Maastricht, The Netherlands), after its formal establishment at the European Council meeting in March 1981 and was twice re-appointed.
He worked as advisor to the EU Commission and individual governments, and with international policy making institutions or organisations. He has lectured at universities in Europe and the USA and today he contributes to executive development programs of leading business schools in Europe and Africa.
Stefan co-founded EPPA in 1990 and advises leading multinational companies and industry associations on the management of their corporate affairs and their political strategy and its implementation in various business sectors.
He is fluent in Dutch, French, English and German.
Joris Vandeputte - Partner
Dr. Joris Vandeputte holds a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Ghent ( Belgium) 1976.
Joris joined the Belgian veterinary services in 1980 where he was in charge of the new control and eradication plans of animal infectious diseases. He also acted as Belgian representative in the permanent veterinary committee of the EU.
In 1982 he became General Manager of the Belgian subsidiary of Merial called Institut Mérieux Benelux at that time. He also held various other functions within this company, namely world-wide director for development, strategy and marketing of various lines of vaccines, technical and marketing director in Latin America, Asia and Africa and director of the international regulatory affairs department.
In November 2001, Joris became Vice-President Government Affairs Europe of The Vaccine Fund where he was responsible for the financial and fundraising branch of GAVI (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) created in 2000 with the aim of giving access to all the children in the world to basic immunization (now called GAVI Fund). Joris was successful in getting the support of EU institutions, the Commission, Parliament, Council and local governments for the vaccination of children through GAVI and The Vaccine Fund.
He has extensive experience with the EU institutions and developing countries (ACP), specialised in the health and biotechnology sector, advising NGOs, public private partnerships and companies in those fields. He is the author of more than 80 scientific publications.
He is fluent in Dutch, French, English and German.
Julius Waller - Partner
Julius Waller holds a Masters degree in European Competition Law from the University of Leiden (The Netherlands) 1991.
Julius has worked in a variety of capacities on marketing and legal issues at the Dutch Magazine Publishers Associations ultimately as deputy secretary-general. In 1994 he joined EPPA where he continued to specialise in Media, Telecommunications and Technology issues. Milestone projects were, for example, the copyright directive where EPPA defended the publisher interests against the telecom and Internet companies at the height of the Internet bubble.
Another major achievement was the modification of the Euro-coins regulation after second reading and political agreement in the Council. Today’s € 0.20 and € 0.50 coins look different because of this intervention for the Vending machine producers.
Julius has expertise in major strategic work aimed at the European Parliament or other complex institutional relationships such as comitology and Member States inter-cultural public policy management.
He is fluent in Dutch, English, French, and German and speaks reasonable Portuguese.