Locations

Brussels, Belgium

Chelgate's office in Brussels plays a key role in tracking and managing the regulatory and legislative issues faced by our clients in the EU.

For better or worse, more than half of all legislation passed in the national Parliaments of EU member states now originates in Brussels. On top of that, overreaching regulations are sometimes imposed on member states directly, without any need for national legislatures to get involved; and of course, EU law always takes precedence over national law.

We are able to provide three core services: political intelligence, coalition building and contact programmes.

Political intelligence
Often, those that get their arguments in first will emerge from any legislative round better off, especially in the EU where policy debates are complex and stakeholders may need help to understand the finer details of the work they are doing. In order to be able to provide this right at the start of the process, it is vital that companies are aware of developments in Europe. Chelgate’s Brussels office has its ear to the ground, and can offer an early warning system to companies that need to know what is happening as it happens.

We are able to provide thorough regulatory impact assessments, enabling organisations to take a long hard look at how proposed legislation might affect companies; and assistance in responding to EU consultations in light of such an assessment.
And we have a number of years experience of helping organisations to access EU money, be it structural funds overseen by member states, research grants or ‘SmartMoney’ under a particular thematic programme. Our consultants will make sure Chelgate clients are the first to know about potential opportunities in their sector, and can advise on every step of what is a long road towards funding goals.

Coalition building
Policy and legislative debates in Brussels often involve argument between opposing ‘advocacy coalitions’, loosely organised groups of organisations with convergent interests. Building such a coalition is the vital first step in any EU campaign, and Chelgate are well positioned to devise and implement strategies that create strong, winning coalitions.

Contact programmes
Chelgate makes sure its clients engage at the right time and in the right way with political stakeholders, be this through one-to-one meetings, seminars, dinners, roundtable discussions or receptions.
Over the last 21 years, our consultants have watched the European Parliament transform from a talking shop into one of the world’s most powerful legislative bodies. When it comes to the need for legislative change, it is often the democratic voice of the Parliament, not the Commission, which companies should turn to.

The Commission can be the hardest nut to crack, and a strategic approach to all of its internal stakeholders is vital in shaping the legislative proposals that flow from it. Getting it wrong can lead companies to alienate the only EU Institution that can propose legislation. Our consultants have inside knowledge of how it works, and some have even worked as its contractors, meaning we can structure engagement to make sure that companies do not make powerful enemies early on.

A little known institution of the EU, the Committee of the Regions, is made up of representatives of local government from across the continent. Whilst the body plays only a consultative role in the legislative process, its members are in a position to aid the expansion of any business that works with local government, and engagement can hasten business development for such companies on the European market. Our work with local government in the United Kingdom, Cyprus and Romania puts Chelgate in a good position to help companies engage in this way.

Chelgate Brussels is situated on Rue Breydel, minutes from the Commission, Parliament and Council in the heart of the European quarter in the city. For further information about our services in Brussels, please go to our contact page or email Nick Wood-Dow or Peter Beckett direct.