Brussels, 25th January 2012: The Data Industry Platform, an alliance of European and global businesses and industry associations, welcomes the general aim of the European Commission to cut red tape and simplify data protection compliance in Europe. At the same time, the Data Industry Platform is deeply concerned that the actual text of the proposed General Data Protection Regulation does not deliver on these aims, because it is overly strict and bureaucratic. “We fully support a balanced approach to privacy rights in Europe, but unfortunately the proposed Regulation is still not workable and too complex for our daily lives” says Dieter Weng, one of the initiators of the Data Industry Platform.

Brussels, 11 January 2012: The official Call for Entries for the Euro Effies 2012, the Gold Standard in Marketing Communications Effectiveness Awards, was launched today by the EACA.

The EACA Euro Effies 2012 are open to all agencies (whether members of EACA or not) for campaigns which ran in two or more European markets in 2011.

Brussels, 11 January 2012: A new Pharmaceutical category covering communications campaigns for prescription medicines & drugs has been created for the 2012 Euro Effies Awards, the Gold Standard in Marketing Communications Effectiveness, for which the official Call for Entries was launched today by the EACA. The Pharma category will complement the existing Health category, which will continue to cover OTC medicines and beauty products.

Brussels, 15 December 2011 Application for the third EACA International Summer School which will take place during the week of 9-13 July 2012 at the University of Amsterdam in The Netherlands opens on 15 December 2011. During one week, students will attend different workshops given by leading advertising practitioners to learn how the different disciplines fit together to create a complete campaign and will work in international teams on a single real client brief. This year the EACA Summer School is working in partnership with Nikon who will provide the client brief which will be presented to all the students on the first day. Students are able to choose between 2 groups according to their level of experience.
The Foundation group is aimed at Bachelor students (1st, 2nd, 3rd years) and the Advanced group is aimed at Masters' degree students and young professionals.

Brussels 5 December 2011: The European Association of Communications Agencies has launched the call for entries for the EACA Care Awards 2012. These Awards for European Social Marketing Campaigns recognise excellence in promoting care for people, resources and the environment. They are part of the EACA's overall commitment to promote Corporate Social Responsibility and are linked to the ACT Responsible online gallery and the ACT Responsible World Tour.

A joint WFA/EACA publication provides guidelines for both agencies and clients on managing business relationships and how to organize, conduct and conclude a pitch process leading to a new client-agency relationship.

Some companies decide to go green to save money. Some do it to reassure clients, or because clients are expanding their corporate responsibility to include their whole supply-chain - including marketing suppliers. Some do it because their employees insist. Whatever their motives, many corporations - and a growing number of public sector agencies - now build environmental, community and ethical priorities into their strategies and operations. Think global they say and act local. Here's how.

The adherence to high ethical principles is a requirement for any business sector today. As the representative body for the advertising and commercial communications sector in Europe, it is EACA's task to ensure that member companies have clear guidance on the ethical standards that we set for ourselves and that our stakeholders fully understand our commitments to the highest standards of performance.