Who we are
Trade Promotion Europe is the European association representing the Trade Promotion Organisations and Agrifood Promotion Organisations of Member States to the EU institutions and Stakeholders.
Trade Promotion Organisations are responsible to support the internationalisation of their national companies, in the EU Single Market or overseas. The Agrifood Promotion Organisations are responsible for the promotion in the EU Single market and in third countries’ markets of their national agri-food businesses. Typically TPOs and APOs are mandated by their national government or stakeholders in their mission.
Our members offer a variety of services to European companies, including capacity building for internationalisation, information and competitive intelligence, promotion services, as well as investment services.
By collaborating with one another, we are creating new synergies to help Europe realise its trade potential. Our community is a forum for ideas, for learning and for exchanging information so that our members can serve their stakeholders better: from Europe’s 25 million small- and medium-sized enterprises to the European Union’s policy making institutions.
Trade is the driving force in Europe’s economy and is the raison d’être of the European Union. Promoting Europe’s goods and services at the local, national and international level is crucial to collective development and growth. We help foster dialogue with EU institutions, and serve as a trusted partner in the implementation of Europe’s trade promotion policies.
We are the bridge between Europe’s trade goals and businesses seeking to export. We have joined together to collectively support European policy at the EU, national and local levels. To promote Europe’s commercial goals while serving our exporters requires one voice to translate ideas into action and policy into practice. Trade Promotion Europe is that voice.
About Trade Promotion Organisations
Trade Promotion Organisations (TPOs) play a vital role in facilitating the global expansion of domestic businesses, whether within the EU Single Market or abroad. Similarly, Agrifood Promotion Organisations (APOs) focus specifically on promoting agri-food enterprises domestically within the EU and in international markets. These organisations are usually empowered by national governments or stakeholders to fulfill their missions.
Governance and Structure of Trade Promotion Europe
TPE operates under a well-defined governance framework to ensure effective decision-making, coordination, and implementation of its objectives. TPE’s governance key components are the General Assembly taking place twice a year, the Board of Directors, the Secretariat, Committees and Working Groups.
General Assembly
The General Assembly is composed of all members and serves as a decision-making body of TPE. It meets twice a year. The General Assembly adopts the roadmap and priorities for the year and the budget of the association.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors meets monthly and oversees the strategic direction of TPE and ensures alignment with the organisation’s mission and objectives.
Secretariat
TPE’s Secretariat headquartered in Brussels supports the implementation of TPE’s roadmap and priorities.
Mission, vision and values
What makes us unique?
TPE members are all dedicated to the internationalisation of SMEs. Supporting SMEs to expand into international markets through trade promotion activities is their core business.
What makes us unique is that many of our members have both offices in their Member State as the first contact point for SMEs as well as a network of offices throughout the EU and in third countries. No other network provides such a fully integrated geographic coverage.
At the moment, our TPOs combined have 86 offices in their own Member States and 609 offices abroad. 157 offices support intra-EU trade and 452 offices support trade in third countries.
Our network brings together more than 7000 full-time staff members.
Objectives
Promote and represent our members across Europe
The trade promotion organisations that make up TPE all have one thing in common: they aim to boost the international success of enterprises and – in doing so – overcome similar challenges.
To promote and represent their interests on a European level:
- We introduce and explain our members’ points of view, insights and concerns to European institutions and other competent authorities. The main message: a plea for greater synergy across Europe when it comes to support instruments for SME internationalisation.
- We maintain a constant dialogue with Europe’s main political and socioeconomic institutions with the goal of streamlining SME internationalisation support across the EU.
Foster and enable ever-closer collaboration
Trade promotion organisations are crucial to boosting the EU’s economic development and growth through international trade. But they can accomplish so much more by working closely together with each other as well as with European institutions.
To nurture these collaborations:
We develop and carry out projects in the shared interests of our members. These projects include responding to EU calls for tender or proposal.
We organise internal and external meetings to share knowledge and boost networking. Initiatives range from seminars and conferences to any type of event capable of supporting both our purpose and our members’ interests.
Structure
