Brussels ranks as the first capital in the world in number of international associations, and this number continues to grow. According to the Union of International Associations (UIA) there are more than 2,400 international associations in Brussels.
Trade associations constitute the largest individual group of entries in the EU Transparency Register and tend to consider Brussels as their natural home. Their composition, vocation and outreach
vary considerably due to their histories and EU competencies covering their sectors. Trade (or business) associations represent private businesses and provide a critical function. It is those private
businesses that create the profits and employment that drive the European economy for growth and jobs.
Most European trade associations are registered as international not-for-profit associations under Belgian law. Approximately 60% are traditionally pure federations, composed of national associations; 25% are composed of national associations and companies; and around 15% have exclusive direct company membership. Their budgets and staff size often depend on the nature of the business sector that they represent, the degree to which their industries are regulated, and who is in charge.
Since the Global Financial Crisis, Brussels has become an even more important centre for European business and trade associations to engage with policymakers. Over the last decade there has been a growing sense of community, common purpose and professionalisation of the sector in Brussels. Solvay’s Executive Master in International Association Management, the European Society of Association Executives, the European Association Summit (EAS), and visit.Brussels´ Convention & Association Bureau are all active manifestations of this change.
The trade association sector contributes hundreds of millions of euros to the Brussels economy and fosters better EU policymaking for business and society. Out of 2,400 international associations in Brussels there are around 500 European trade or business associations with a permanent secretariat according to the EU Transparency Register. In addition, there are more than 40 trade associations staffed by mostly part-time specialists in Association Management Consultancies, Public Affairs Consultancies and Law Firms.
European trade associations do not include three other types of associations identified in the Transparency Register with a Brussels presence (who also count among our clients), namely:
– Professional associations (e.g. FERMA – Federation of European Risk Management Associations)
– National trade associations (e.g. Association Française de la Gestion Financière (AFG) representing the France-based investment management industry)
– NGO not-for-profit associations (e.g. EDF – Environmental Defense Fund)
The reason we chose not to include these other associations in our survey is that pay scales vary greatly in these other categories. For instance, German and Italian trade associations pay much higher salaries than those from Eastern Europe in line with local pay culture. Salaries are also generally much lower in NGOs driven by a social or environmental purpose for instance. Please also note that in 2023 we also decided to exclude associations and/or their staff hosted by consultancies and law firms, as their staff are consultants and lawyers who work in adjacent but distinct job markets in Brussels with different salary bands.
The core of this salary report is based on an indepth survey we finalized in 2023 of 174 European trade association leaders at Secretary General level, and 600 secretariat staff overall. This sample size gives an accurate representation of the range of compensation and benefits available to staff of these 500 trade associations in Brussels.
See the full report here.
