/ Strengths

Unlocking
Productivity

Our strength is to break up the complex political environment. We support and accompany our clients and translate the European ciphers. This creates new skills and solutions.

Success story

The basic formula of success is the insight into stakeholder structures and the permanently ongoing decision-making processes. But only those who understand the needs of their clients can enter into a fruitful dialogue. Credible communication? This is us.

Tackling
the future

We help our partners, to plan ahead. We stay close to the client, inform and evaluate, communicate with target groups – from the legislative nucleus to the formulated regulation or guideline.

/ Events

19 September 2023 at the Representation of the State of Baden-Württemberg
Changing coalitions in the European Parliament under the magnifying glass: "What happens after 2024?" Moderated by Ottmar Berbalk

Dr. Manuel Müller Political scientist and founder of the blog “Der (europäische) Föderalist” gave an outlook on possible upcoming majorities. Where will the firewalls be drawn to the right in the future? Will we need treaty changes? What will the new Commission leadership look like?
The panel discussion brought together Daniel Caspary MEP Member of the European Parliament, President of the CDU/CSU Group in the European Parliament (CDU from Baden-Württemberg) Moritz Körner Member of the European Parliament (FDP from North Rhine-Westphalia) Rasmus Andresen Member of the European Parliament (Greens) René Repasi Member of the European Parliament (SPD from Baden-Württemberg).

Press Club Brussels
Transport Policy Breakfast 18 July 2023 at the Press Club Brussels

Good insights and discussions with Markus Ferber, MEP and CSU transport expert and Walter Goetz, Head of Cabinet of Adina Valean (EU Commissioner for Transport).
On 11 July 2023, the European Commission presented the GREENING TRANSPORT PACKAGE. The focus is on freight transport, in addition to the revision of the Combined Transport Directive, a proposal on the Weights and Measures Directive and a regulation for the harmonised measurement of transport and logistics emissions – the so-called “CountEmissions EU” and the “Capacity proposal” are expected.
What does this mean for combined transport?
Can the EU Commission’s proposal actually contribute to climate-friendly freight transport and supply chains in Europe? What are the exact ideas of the European Commission – what is the position of the European Parliament and what is the timeframe?

Representation of Lower Saxia, Brussels

Charity event with Wolfgang Bauer, award-winning author of the “Zeit”. Reading and discussion about the fate of people in Africa who are excluded from society. Chain people in the 21st century.

Concert Noble Brussels

Ottmar Berbalk moderated a highly sensitive topic at the high-level evening of the Federal Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry (BPI): Will access to medicine be secured and affordable?

Bavarian Representation Brussels

For the Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung in Brussels, Ottmar Berbalk had the lead. He started an economic debate on the prospects of Europe after the general election and was joined by two MEP heavyweights from the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, Prof. Dr. med. Angelika Niebler and Ludek Niedermayer.

Press Club Brussels

How does European industry tackle the digital revolution? Which political framework is set by policy makers? What is the impact of Big Data and how to create robust new business models? What kind of infrastructure do we need to compete and succeed in global competition?

BMW Brussels and Berbalk Communications invited German MEP Sabine Verheyen (EPP), EU-Commission Director Paul Nemitz and economist Dr. Vera Demary from IW Cologne to explain and discuss their views on the impact of the digital revolution to a senior audience representing stakeholders from EU- Institutions, media and industry.

Participants agreed that the responsible use of data will be fundamental to win consumers trust helping to come up with successful business models. Big Data is Smart Data, a fact applying to big players and SMEs at the same time. However individual national interests differ within Europe. Exceptions had been granted under the General EU-Data Protection Regulation and it will be challenging to achieve a level playing field. Yet the transformation towards a data-driven economy creates every day more momentum and remains as the major challenge for established industries, their processes and ways of thinking

EU-Parlament Strasbourg

International Top-Event at the end of the year 2015 in Strasbourg: Which consequences are drawn by Europe’s regulators and what is the impact on European industries? BMW and Berbalk Communications invited MEPs, media representatives, environmental experts and a trade unionist to discuss this question over a political dinner in the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Peter Müller (Der Spiegel) moderated the event. Angelika Niebler (CSU/EPP) co-hosted the dinner and was particularly interested in the opinion of BMW’s supervisory board Stefan Schmidt. All guests took exciting facts and figures about high investments in jobs and future technologies back home.

Press Club Brussels

The 5th Political Salon of Berbalk Communications highlighted “Mobility and Networking = Sustainability”. Berbalk Communications and BMW European leaders discussed traffic and transport issues of the 21st century. Luxemburg Infrastructure Minister Francois Bausch (Green) and Herbert Reul (Chairman of the CDU / CSU parliamentary group in the European Parliament) united the goal of an intelligent car, which is computer-controlled and able to move economically and safely. Ottmar Berbalk involved the audience from EU institutions, media and companies in a lively debate that focused on the World Climate Conference COP21 in Paris at the end of the year.

Renaissance Brussels Hotel

The Digital Revolution picks up more speed every day and transforms our daily lives in all areas. The dimensions are gigantic: 315 million Europeans use the Internet every day: they communicate, buy online and comment in social communities. Europe’s share in the global digital market is 27%, the same level like the US.

That is why BMW and Berbalk Communications have organised a political panel on “The Digitalisation of the European economy – Big Data – Competition – Digital Single Market” on the 15th of June in Brussels. US Ambassador to the European Union, Anthony L. Gardner, the internal market spokesman of the European People’s Party in the EU-Parliament, Andreas Schwab and Khalil Rouhana from the Directorate General of the German Digital Commissioner Gunther Oettinger discussed important questions on the European Digital Single Market:Who plays what role in setting the political framework?

In addition more than 40 high-ranking guests from the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Media and the industry discussed the future challenges together with the speakers.

Renaissance Hotel Brussels

December 2014 Great, current and controversial – BMW Brussels and Berbalk Communications have been organising a political Saloon in Brussels with the main topic on the future of Europe – a new architecture for more than 504 Mio. EU-Citizens

“Investment Package, Union Capital Markets and Industrial Policy – When and how does the European strategy work?”

Andreas Sauer (BMW) welcomed his guests and introduced a lively debate of the panelists. Hans-Jürgen Moritz (Focus) led through the debate with liberal German MEP Michael Theurer, Michael Koehler (Director EU-Commission) – the former Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Oettinger and Valerie Herzberg member of the Cabinet of EU-Commissioner and Vice President Jyrki Katainen.

BMW Representation Brussels

Politics, Business and Public are talking of a new trend in transportation: the connected car. The smart car of the near future is essentially part of a gigantic data-collection engine. Is this a realistic vision? What role plays politics in this technical challenge? Do we need more regulations to protect our date?

What is Europe’s position in the competitive global market? Who is in the driving seat: data companies or car manufacturers?
We discussed this topic with MS Magda Kopczynska, Director in charge of Innovative and Sustainable Mobility, DG Move, MEP Jan Philipp Albrecht rapporteur of data-protection, MEP Markus Ferber and Jim Beveridge, Senior Director International Technology Policy, Microsoft and a representative from the management of BMW Group.

/ Team

Ottmar Berbalk

Networker
and
Moderator

Ottmar Berbalk worked 30 years as a journalist in Germany and Europe including several years as head of the editorial team of “Focus” in Brussels. His journalistic background is the foundation for not only understanding the political process, but also the people who shape it in the EU. He is interested in the future of media, energy, data protection and financial services in the internal market. His international network at the highest European level is an asset in our daily work and in supporting companies and associations in regulatory matters.
As the owner of Berbalk Communications, Ottmar specializes in the implementation of strategic communications objectives. He also uses his know-how as a moderator, media trainer and coach.

BETTINA APPEL

Communicator
with large
network

Bettina Appel has been living and working in Brussels for more than 24 years. She is part of the “bubble” and completely familiar with the political EU processes. As an external spokesperson for the EU-Commission Bettina has simplified a wide range of political content and communicated it to the audience. Over all these years, she has built up a large network in many areas. She knows how to network business with politics. She thinks outside the box and sometimes sees things from a different perspective. Maybe that’s one reason why she often has a camera in her luggage.

JÜRGEN DEBUSMANN

Enabler for
Digital
Communication

Jürgen Debusmann has 25 years of experience in the international management of companies. After university, he worked in the technical sales of various companies with target markets in Europe, USA and Asia. He joined the Economist Group, where he assumed responsibility for sales in the German-speaking countries and took lead as CEE and as an expert in brand communication. In this exciting time of digital change, he accompanied a large number of his own projects, as well as those of our national and international clients. Jürgens’s focus is on the Tech Sector, Media and Transport.

ANDREA MORASS MARASZTO

Communicator
Policy and
Visual Content

Andrea Morass Maraszto has a solid background in EU affairs & communication. She holds a degree in Communication and Political Science and was employed at the Federal Chancellery in Austria, Department for EU Affairs. In Brussels, Andrea has worked mainly for EU public affairs agencies and gained experience at the EU institutions and as a radio journalist. She is therefore familiar with both, the perspective of the EU and its member states. She has acquired skills in graphic design & illustration, which she uses for social media content. She is also the author and illustrator of a children’s book.

/ Contact

OTTMAR BERBALK

+32 473 917749
ottmar.berbalk@berbalkcommunications.com

BETTINA APPEL

+32 486 39 2283
bettina.appel@berbalkcommunications.com

JÜRGEN DEBUSMANN

+32 474 119948 or +49 157 7061 2709
juergen.debusmann@berbalkcommunications.com

ANDREA MORASS MARASZTO

+32 4735 49775
andrea.morass@berbalkcommunications.com

BERBALK COMMUNICATIONS
Avenue des Rogations, 28
B-1200 Brussels, Belgium

Responsible and represented by:  Ottmar Berbalk;

TVA  BE 0651.912.155

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/ Imprint

Compliance

Core values of Berbalk Communications are confidentiality and transparency.
They are the foundation of our success and all our work with institutions, parliaments and their staff.
We are registered in the European Transparency Register under 309943411467-94

Disclaimer

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Picture Credits: ©Bettina Appel ©Felix Kindermann

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