Key outcomes from The Global Alliance European Council meeting in Paris 1-3 October were an agreement to hold the 6th annual European summit in June 2027 in Helsinki/Tallinn, production of a European Values manifesto, development of the European PR passport and commitment to work on European Security as a key topic for communications 2027.
The Paris event kicked off with a Conference at the Da Vinci University Executive Education on European Perspectives on Trends in Communication.This allowed top European speakers including Alastair McCapra – CEO CIPR UK, Christina Kahlert- DPRG Germany, Antonio Rapoula-ACPE Portugal, Margus from EPRA Estonia and Silvia Arto –France and chair of Global Alliance Europe to engage with the Communication students. The 2 conferences addressed key topics like Is there a European way of communicating? And Is AI an opportunity for communication professionals. Great reflections from different European perspectives available in the video below:
A full day of meetings on Friday 2 October with representatives from France, Portugal, Germany, Estonia, Poland, Finland and UK created a European Values Manifesto. The Manifesto committed the European Council to:
- Build best practice sharing betwen European PR associations and its members
- Co-create projects, reports or position papers on mutual areas of interest such as the European PR passport, PR security, responsible communications and artificial intelligence to give a uniquely European voice
- Deliver speakers, services and communications expertise across Europe in mutual support of each other
- Share research, articles and data to develop learning collectively
- Hold regular events and networking including the anual European summit and European regional council meetings in different cities of Europe to share, connect and address key trends impacting our profession with our local colleagues.
Three specific projects agreed for the next year were to promote the European value manifesto among the European National associations, the development of an European PR passport between European Associations for collaboration, sharing and mutual value and work on the key role of PR in European security.
The meeting also agreed to hold the 6th annual summit in Helsinki/Tallinn jointly hosted by Finnish and Estonian PR associations in early June 2027.
Delegates also shared best practice over dinners and had a tour of the iconic Parisian Notre Dame Cathedral.
Caption: European Council Conference speakers L to R: Louis Dourelle, Antonio Rapoula, Margus Mets, Christina Kahlert, Silvia Arto with Alastair McCapra of CIPR and colleagues from Da Vinci University
European Council working meeting -L to R: Christina Kahlert (Germany), Margus Mets (Estonia), Roksana Obuchowska (Poland), Kia Haring (Finland), Silvia Arto (France), Alastair McCapra (UK), Antonio Rapoula (Portugal), Mandy Pearse (UK) and Louis Dourelle (France).
European Council members at Notre Dame L to R: Kia Haring (Finland), Christina Kahlert (Germany), Silvia Arto (France), Margus Mets (Estonia), Roksana Obuchowska (Poland) and Mandy Pearse (UK).