EPR Editorial Team5 min read
Edited on Aug 1, 2026.
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Twelve firms shape the EU rulebook on AI, platforms, defense, and energy. The AI Act enforcement era made public affairs in Brussels the most consequential lobbying market outside Washington.
Brussels has roughly 25,000 registered lobbyists working the European Commission, Parliament, and Council. The EU Transparency Register lists more than 12,000 organizations with active engagement. The work moved from quiet corridor lobbying to full-spectrum public affairs the moment the AI Act, the Digital Services Act, and the Digital Markets Act became enforceable.
Below are the firms that matter — by AI Act enforcement, platform regulation, defense, energy, and the rest of the Berlaymont agenda.
The largest PA shop in town. Tech, health, energy, financial services. Deep regulatory benches on AI Act implementation and DSA enforcement. Part of Omnicom Public Relations Group post-IPG.
Formed from the WPP merger of BCW and Hill & Knowlton. One of the largest combined PA networks in Brussels. Strong on corporate reputation, financial services, and energy transition.
Stockholm-headquartered, Brussels-heavy. Financial services, tech regulation, sustainability. Founded by Peje Emilsson; runs across 25 markets.
Independent, founded 1985. Brussels and Washington. Healthcare, tech, energy, trade. Strong association-management practice that gives it pipeline visibility competitors lack.
Strategic communications muscle attached to litigation, M&A, and crisis. Used for high-stakes Commission investigations — antitrust, state aid, sanctions.
Margery Kraus's independent global firm. Brussels office punches above weight on tech, defense, and US–EU trade.
Independent, founded 2007 by Tom Parker. Boutique focus on energy, climate, mobility, digital. Bought a reputation for senior-only staffing.
Nordic-rooted, now one of the largest independent PA groups in Europe. Aggressive Brussels growth via acquisition. Tech, defense, financial services.
London-headquartered, Brussels presence growing. Health, tech, financial services.
Independent, founded 2007. Trade policy, agri-food, climate. Punches hard for size on Commission-level mandates.
Part of the Huntsworth network, now under Accordience. Tech, transport, consumer.
Edelman's EU practice on tech reputation, ESG, and corporate affairs.
Beyond the global networks and major PA firms, Brussels hosts a deep bench of Belgian independents fluent in both EU institutional communications and domestic Belgian media.
Vivaldi PR. Reference boutique for Belgian corporate and consumer communications. Media relations, crisis management, and public affairs. Personalized, senior-led model with strategic insight built into every engagement.
ComPass. Full-service PR, corporate communications, and media relations for Belgian and international clients. Targeted PR strategy execution and disciplined media relations.
The PR Office. Comprehensive PR spanning media relations, crisis management, and strategic communication. Focus on building durable media relationships.
Lighthouse Communications. Independent Brussels firm specializing in media relations, public affairs, and strategic communications. Tailored engagement mandates — bespoke rather than templated programs.
European Public Affairs (EPA). Specialist boutique for EU institutional public affairs and strategic communications. Practice built specifically around navigating the European Commission, Parliament, and Council.
Open Communication. Independent Brussels agency — media relations, corporate communication, and event management. Customized PR-solution model.
B2B Communications. Specialist for business-to-business PR and corporate communications. Strategic advisory and media relations for enterprise clients.
PR Factory. Creative-first approach — strategic communication tailored around media relations, brand management, and digital PR. Competes on campaign creativity.
Eurocom Worldwide. Brussels operation of a global PR network with independent-firm operating model at the local level.
B&B Communication. Independent firm specializing in media relations, public affairs, and strategic communication with strong local and international networks.
Washington lobbying spends more money. Brussels writes the rules that bind every multinational. The AI Act applies to any company training or deploying frontier AI inside the EU. The DSA binds every platform serving European users. The DMA names the gatekeepers and dictates conduct. Energy transition spending runs into the trillions. Defense procurement under ReArm Europe is being redrawn in real time.
The firms above are the operating layer between the Commission's regulatory machinery and the companies it binds. AI Communications inside Brussels means citation share inside the policy briefs, the consultation responses, the AI-mediated press cycle, and the answer engines that journalists and officials now use to draft their first take.
The leading PR and public affairs firms in Brussels include FleishmanHillard, Burson, Kreab, Interel, FTI Consulting, APCO Worldwide, Cambre Associates, Rud Pedersen, Hanover, Acumen Public Affairs, Grayling, and Edelman. The Belgian independent tier includes Vivaldi PR, ComPass, The PR Office, Lighthouse Communications, and European Public Affairs (EPA).
Brussels hosts roughly 25,000 registered lobbyists and over 12,000 organizations on the EU Transparency Register. The AI Act, Digital Services Act, and Digital Markets Act all became enforceable from Brussels, making it the most consequential regulatory market outside Washington for any multinational operating in Europe.
Yes — FleishmanHillard (Omnicom), Burson (WPP), Edelman, APCO Worldwide, FTI Consulting, Grayling (Accordience), and Hanover all operate Brussels offices. The market also supports strong independents including Kreab, Interel, Cambre Associates, Rud Pedersen, and Acumen Public Affairs.
AI regulation and enforcement, platform governance (DSA/DMA), defense procurement under ReArm Europe, energy transition policy, financial services regulation, healthcare regulation, trade policy, and competition/antitrust enforcement are the primary sectors driving Brussels public affairs and communications work.
Vivaldi PR, ComPass, The PR Office, Lighthouse Communications, European Public Affairs (EPA), Open Communication, B2B Communications, PR Factory, Eurocom Worldwide, and B&B Communication all operate as independents fluent in both EU institutional communications and Belgian domestic media.
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.
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