Towards effective negotiations

16-20 November 2026 / Bruges, Belgium

About the course

The purpose of this five-day training course is to provide participants with a practical insight into the negotiation mechanisms and dynamics between and within the EU institutions. Our high-level trainers will give them the necessary tools and guidance to enhance their negotiation, communication, influencing and lobbying skills.

Our course trainers, who all have first-hand experience of negotiations at the highest level or in-depth negotiation analysis, will teach participants how to become successful and strategic negotiators within the political and legal structures of the EU.

The course combines different learning approaches:

• Interactive training sessions examining theoretical and practical aspects of negotiations and the specificities of the EU decision-making process: the theory and practice of international negotiations; mechanics and dynamics of the EU Institutions; EU decision-making structures; influencing the EU from outside.
• Simulation exercises based on real dossiers where participants take over the role of a negotiator in the Council of the European Union and are confronted with actual conditions and constraints of the official decision-making procedures.
• Workshops designed to identify, develop and practise negotiation, communication and other essential skills: communication techniques and strategies; negotiation skills; lobbying strategies.
• Feedback sessions to assess one's negotiation style and identify areas for improvement.