Invest In Brussels - English

There are several reasons:

• EU institutions: home to the key political and decision-making institutions of the EU such as the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers of the EU, the European Commission, the Committee of the European Regions and the Economic and Social Committee.
• International organisations: seat of more international organisations than Washington, D.C., ranking number one in the world with 3,063 organisations based in the city, including NATO, the Western European Union (WEU) and the Benelux.
• International NGOs: Brussels is also home to 837 international NGOs (source: ‘Yearbook of International Organisations' by the Union of International Associations).
• Diplomatic: Brussels is 2^nd only to New York, with some 3,800 diplomats and 159 embassies.
• Business: 1,300 foreign companies are located in the European capital.
• Public affairs and lobbying: Brussels has over 1,000 lobby groups, hundreds of PR and public affairs firms, consulting and law firms offering lobbying services, NGOs, dozens of corporate-funded think tanks as well as several hundred ‘EU affairs’ offices run by individual corporations.
• Media: Brussels’ worldwide press centre is 2^nd only to Washington, D.C., with about 1,200 journalists permanently stationed in the city working for hundreds of press agencies, television broadcasters, radio stations and newspapers.
• Pressure groups: headquarter for thousands of lobbying agencies, representatives of 400 regions and cities, legal and consulting firms.
• Conferences: the world’s second most important conference centre for hosting international business meetings.

Engage in dialogue

Talk simultaneously to a wide range of EU institutions, NGOs, international organisations, trade unions, national representations and a multitude of interest groups. Participate in the most cutting-edge exchange of ideas, knowledge and technologies. Consult peers and build alliances and relationships that could give your business a head start.

Monitor EU policy

Monitor political and economic developments in the EU. Keep up-to-date and access the most recent news about EU policies that could affect your business. Build an information network with peers and EU associations to be alerted if a proposal is going to be drafted that could influence your sector’s activity. Have the latest information, before your competitors do, on the standards laid down by the EU, as companies find it more cost-effective to adopt one unique standard.

Participate and influence

Assist the EU in shaping or implementing policies, regulations and legislation that could have a direct or indirect impact on your business. Have a voice: participate in public consultations launched by the European institutions. These consultations strongly encourage European businesses to offer their feedback, expertise and technical know-how in order for the European Commission to develop effective legislation. Start in time: act as early as possible, ideally at the beginning of the drafting process and before the publication of the proposal.

Communicate to your target audience

Use the concentration of media and civil society organisations in Brussels to creatively and strategically communicate about your company. Take advantage of Brussels’ very large media corps to immediately tap into the worldwide news network.