Launching the largest Norway-EU Public Affairs practice

Launching the largest Norway-EU Public Affairs practice

Oslo/Brussels, November 24, 2023: Kreab is strengthening its collaboration with the Norwegian agency TRY Råd. Together with TRY Råd, Kreab has established a “Norway Desk”, creating the largest Norwegian Public Affairs practice for businesses seeking guidance on EU and EEA matters in Brussels and Oslo.

The political and economic landscape in Europe is in constant flux, and decisions made by the EU will have significant implications for Norwegian businesses in the years ahead. Understanding EU policies and how they frame conditions through the EEA is becoming increasingly crucial. TRY Råd, currently equipped with several advisors specializing in European matters, is now significantly enhancing its position:

TRY Råd serves as Kreab’s Norwegian office, and Bård Hammervold, Managing Partner for Kreab Norway, believes this initiative could have a substantial impact on numerous Norwegian businesses.

“Norwegian businesses are influenced by decisions made in the EU to a much greater extent than most people realize,” says Bård Hammervold. “Navigating through the new regulations and keeping abreast of the discussions in Brussels has become increasingly challenging. We are now fully committed to establishing a Norwegian-language advisory environment in both Norway and Brussels to provide sound advice to Norwegian businesses on EU and EEA matters that can directly impact the bottom line,” states Hammervold.

This new initiative signifies a strengthening of Kreab’s office in Oslo and an upgrade to Kreab’s already robust presence in Brussels. Kreab has had an office in the EU capital since 1992 and currently boasts five Norwegian-speaking experts in EU and EEA affairs. In Norway, Sigurd Grytten, Partner and Chairman of TRY Råd, will lead the Norwegian part of the EU initiative.

“I have been advising Norwegian businesses on EU matters for almost 20 years,” says Sigurd Grytten. “While they all understand English well and communicate effectively in English, my experience is that having a Norwegian advisor who understands Norwegian politics and culture, along with a deep understanding of how the EU system functions, is still valuable,” Grytten adds.

Norwegian businesses often seek information about EU developments and how they may be affected. Identifying what is relevant for Norway also requires an understanding of the EEA agreement and extensive knowledge of Norwegian business and society. Grytten expresses particular satisfaction with the strengthened expertise in EEA and the presence of Norwegian advisors with experience in working with the Commission and ESA.

Senior Advisor at Kreab Brussels, Oda Helen Sletnes, a former two-time EU Ambassador for Norway and President of the EFTA Surveillance Authority, brings extensive experience from working with EU and EEA. She emphasizes that the collaboration with TRY Råd reinforces Kreab’s vision of “global knowledge, local insight”:

“The significant transformations we are witnessing will permanently impact the framework and economy of Norwegian businesses. I look forward to KREAB Brussels having an even stronger anchor in Norway through the collaboration with TRY Råd. It is an excellent foundation for assisting Norwegian businesses in challenging times,” says Sletnes.

“This is a very important initiative for us,” says Executive Vice President Sebastian Remøy, KREAB’s Global Head of Public Affairs, based in Brussels. “This combined capability in Brussels and Oslo is substantially strengthened in order to support Norwegian and international clients to provide the right input, at the right time, in the right place – in the EU and Norway.”

The joint Norwegian advisory has been operational since August, with regular meetings between Oslo and Brussels to discuss the key developments in the EU and cross-projects. On Friday, November 24, the launch of the collaboration was marked as Kreab Brussels and TRY Råd invited the Norwegian Brussels community to a lunch meeting to discuss Norwegian expectations ahead of the EU elections in 2024 and what could be expected from the forthcoming Official Norwegian EEA report.

About Kreab:

Kreab is a global strategic communications consultancy, committed to creating value. We advise corporations, individuals, governments and organisations on solving complex communications challenges.

Our team of 400 consultants provides global insights and local knowledge, and we leverage our international network to provide geographically integrated solutions so that clients have one cohesive team for cross-border projects.

About TRY Råd:

TRY Råd functions as Kreab’s Norwegian office. TRY Råd operates at the intersection between strategy, creativity, and technology. TRY Råd’s 80 advisors, with backgrounds in politics, journalism, and business, offer insight and analysis, communication and PR services, as well as content marketing. TRY Råd collaborates particularly closely with Kreab Brussels and their almost 50 EU specialists.