Public affairs departments / Communication departments / Legal departments
We help you to manage risk and seize opportunity.
Once a decision has been published in the EU’s Official Journal, its implementation journey has only just begun. Due to varying political and administrative traditions, implementation can be quite different from Member State to Member State. These discrepancies can create potential competitive advantages and disadvantages. This can even be the case in apparently straightforward regulations and the variances can be even more pronounced in the case of directives. The landscape is made more complex by the emergence of a series of complex and growing ‘comitology’ procedures, whereby European Commission and Member State officials seek to iron out implementation issues or to manage certain policy implications.
All of which can significantly influence a company's ability to operate across the Single Market.
However, even when the implementation challenges are relatively well known, political and economic forces can inhibit companies simply seeking to comply with EU regulation, for example in the area of standards or substance approval. Over time significant differences in the interpretation of the rules can arise from a range of factors. Competitive forces in the marketplace can easily create asymmetries, and political and societal pressures can result from well funded and organised civic society organisations. Moreover, scientific uncertainty has increased due to continuously refined research methods, which can lead EU decision-makers to take account of perceived risks. In such complex and evolving scenarios, EPPA’s knowledge of the political, economic and cultural drivers, allows for intelligent handling of scientific and other argumentation.
Partner to contact: Julius Waller
EU regulatory requirements are increasingly shaping the ability of business to operate and REACH (the EU system for the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restrictions of CHemicals) is a prime example. The REACH Regulation has transformed European chemicals policy by widening the regulatory burden on industry – be it for chemical producers or producers of finished products that have chemical components. In all 30,000 substances are covered by REACH.
A number of key milestones have been passed since the Regulation entered into force in 2007 and the series of regulatory steps will continue until 2018. Significant sanctions apply for non-compliant companies. So, assuming you’re compliant with REACH today, are you prepared for the next REACH milestone? And are your suppliers REACH compliant? Your ability to provide REACH compliant products will be decisive for your competitive positioning in the EU.
EPPA has been closely involved with the REACH debate since 2001. We have acquired a deep understanding of the REACH system and developed an excellent network which includes key EU and national officials, business associations and other relevant stakeholders.
With your global business concerns our primary target we have developed a systematic methodology to audit your company’s potential exposure to REACH. With this knowledge we create an optimal compliance programme. A strategic approach to your regulatory requirements can generate a significant competitive advantage. We seek to identify potential business opportunities amongst the labyrinthine legal requirements.
The complexity of the REACH initiative means that compliance is far from being a box-ticking exercise. EPPA offers a range of REACH services from managing the registration and authorisation of your products, through to guiding you through the political aspects which underscore the elaborate regulatory decision-making process.
Partner to contact: Meglena Mihova
In all democratic countries, political decision-making is built upon negotiation within well-defined procedures. In the EU, such practices, both within and between the key EU institutions, play an equally important role in reaching a final compromise. EU decision-making is made more complex because of the need to attain a qualified majority of national governments in the Council, and between Council and Parliament under the co-decision procedure.
It is imperative therefore that companies wanting to engage successfully and constructively with the EU institutions have the proper internal organisation and decision-making processes in place. EPPA specialises in this aspect of management: we analyse the organisation of our clients’ public affairs, governmental and regulatory operations and we investigate the linkage with key commercial functions of the company. We evaluate the respective contributions to the organisations’ public policy-making efforts, including an analysis of the timing of the intervention and the overlap with the established political procedures.
Another key organisational challenge that needs effective management is the coordination of policy work between a company’s headquarters and its operations at national level. Increased coordination and mutual support makes a significant contribution to successful operations, at both EU and national levels.
EPPA's management know-how is widely recognised and allows us to contribute actively as a member of the European Federation of Management Development.
Partner to contact: Stefan Schepers, Julius Waller
Organisations that take a long-term view of public affairs understand the process by which policy formation inevitably leads to regulation. Rather than be surprised by new policy initiatives developed at EU and national levels, successful companies prepare for change and enter the debate at a time when they are most likely to be influential.
EPPA plays a key role in this process by analysing potential policy developments and examining their likely consequences. When necessary, we also play devil’s advocate to help our clients fully manage and prepare for the risk and opportunity inherent in an upcoming change of policy, regardless of whether it concerns quality, safety, environmental or some other requirement.
EPPA builds a bridge between the objectives of client and those of the political institutions. By using our extensive knowledge of national, local and European policy issues we devise a strategy that best matches your commercial objectives.
Once the strategy has been agreed, EPPA’s develops an action plan - a series of structured activities are implemented in close cooperation with our clients. The plan is rolled-out at EU and Member State level according to an agreed timetable and key decision-makers are targeted with the most effective communication tools.
As for unprepared organisations, they are left fighting a rearguard action they can’t expect to win. Belatedly joining the debate with all guns blazing is the best way to see opportunity go up in smoke.