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Public Affairs
EU representation, legislative monitoring, position papers and stakeholder engagement.
EU Public Affairs, Strategic Advisory and Governance Consulting
Where technical regulation meets diplomacy.
SANELIA srl is an independent advisory practice for public affairs, EU representation, strategic & technical consulting, governance, sustainability and innovation built for organisations operating where rules, markets and geopolitics intersect.
§ Services
What we deliver.
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Strategic Advisory
Technical strategy and analyses for governance, innovation and international cooperation.
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Sustainability
Environment, technology and sustainable innovation, research, analysis and project support.
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Training & Events
Executive workshops and conferences.
EU InstitutionsPublic AffairsPosition PapersGreen DealDigital · Energy · TransportGovernance & StandardsSustainable InnovationInternational Cooperation
§ Practice
Six disciplines, one seat at the table.
We work the full length of the regulatory chain from drafting a standard in a technical committee to defending market access in a bilateral negotiation. Each engagement is led personally; nothing is outsourced.
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Public Affairs & EU Representation
Representation of interests before European institutions, legislative and regulatory monitoring, position papers, advocacy and stakeholder engagement: digital, energy, transport, infrastructure and sustainability files.
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Strategic & Technical Advisory
Strategy, analyses and technical advice supporting EU institutions, international organisations and public–private stakeholders on governance, standardisation, sustainability, innovation and international cooperation.
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Governance & Board Advisory
External counsel and board advisor mandates for companies, investment groups, private equity funds and holdings, independent advice to boards and supervisory bodies.
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Sustainability & Innovation
Research, analysis and development at the intersection of environment and technology, and promotion of sustainable innovation across projects and programmes.
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Management
Consulting on management, administration, treasury, business development and corporate reconversion process and procedure optimisation included.
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Training, Workshops & Events
Design, organisation and management of executive trainings, workshops and conferences.
§ Approach
Technical depth.
Diplomatic reach.
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Read the room and the regulation.
We translate dense technical files into political narrative, and political signals into technical strategy.
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Sit on the right side of the table.
Membership in the working groups, expert panels and dialogues that actually shape outcomes - not just observe them.
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Stay independent.
No certification, no testing, no conflicts. Our only product is judgement.
§ Geographies
Operating from Europe. Active worldwide.
Standards diplomacy is local everywhere. We mobilise senior experts across jurisdictions to keep your access open and your filings on time.
Europe
EU institutions & policy
§ Mission
Diplomacy. Consensus. Compliance.
Every engagement is designed to build bridges - between regulators and industry, between diverging national positions, between technical ambition and legal reality.
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Diplomacy
We represent your interests in the committees, working groups and bilateral dialogues where standards are negotiated. Our experts turn technical positions into persuasive narrative - and find common ground where others see deadlock.
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Consensus
Standards live or die by consensus. We map stakeholder positions, identify blocking minorities and craft compromise language that advances your objectives without alienating allies. The result: durable agreements that survive implementation.
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Compliance
From CE marking to third-party certification, we design compliance pathways that are rigorous yet efficient. We know the loopholes, the grey zones and the enforcement patterns - and we keep you ahead of both the letter and the spirit of the law.
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A standard is not only technical but the quietest form of market access diplomacy.
SANELIA srl · House View
Founder
Elena Santiago Cid
SANELIA was founded by Elena Santiago Cid, who led CEN and CENELEC, the European Committees for Standardization and Electrotechnical Standardization, as Director General of CENELEC from 2003 to 2025 and of both Committees from 2010 to 2025.
She brings first-hand knowledge of how European standards are negotiated, adopted and used in legislation, and of the institutions, national bodies and industry networks behind them.
Insights
Latest analysis
7 October 2026Free
Competitiveness with European soul
First reading of COM(2026) 780, the Commission's proposal for a new Regulation on European standardisation
The Commission's proposal to repeal Regulation 1025/2012 is a serious and welcome attempt to put competitiveness at the centre of standardisation, while preserving the values that make the European model unique. Speed, free access and inclusiveness are the right levers; the hard part is funding them without fragmenting the system.
3 November 2026€9 · or subscribe
The 87% Blind Spot
How Europe's new draft Standardisation Regulation could quietly re-fragment the Single Market
COM(2026) 780 makes a limited number of standards faster and free to access: around 13% of the European portfolio. What happens to the other 87%, the standards industry and SMEs use every day, and to the single market, enlargement and Global Gateway?
§ Trust
Credentials & compliance standing.
Senior experts recognised by standards bodies, regulators and trade missions. Independence governed by strict conflict-of-interest protocols.
Public affairs
EU Institutions & Agencies
Engagement with European Commission DGs, Parliament committees and EU agencies on legislative and regulatory files.
Advisory
International Organisations
Strategic and technical advisory support to international organisations and public–private partners on governance and sustainability programmes.
Governance
Boards & Investment Groups
External counsel and board advisor mandates for companies, private equity funds and investment holdings.
Innovation
Sustainability & Innovation Networks
Active in environment, technology and innovation initiatives from project design to stakeholder coordination.
Training
Cultural & Knowledge Partners
Design and delivery of trainings, conferences, exhibitions and multimedia productions with institutional partners.
Governance
Independence & Ethics
Advisory-only practice. Strict conflict-of-interest protocols. No placement of funds, no certification, no product sales.
§ Engage
Contact us.
Tell us what you are trying to bring to market, defend, or shape. We respond within two working days.
Follow SANELIA on LinkedIn§ FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- What is EU public affairs and how can SANELIA support our organisation?
- EU public affairs covers representation of interests before the European institutions, legislative and regulatory monitoring, position papers, advocacy and stakeholder engagement. SANELIA srl supports companies, associations and public bodies across digital, energy, transport, infrastructure and sustainability files in Brussels.
- Can SANELIA act as our representative office in Brussels?
- Yes. We provide ongoing EU representation, attend working groups, expert panels and institutional dialogues on your behalf, and translate technical files into a coherent political strategy with the Commission, Parliament and Council.
- What does your governance and board advisory practice cover?
- We act as external counsel and board advisor for companies, investment groups, private equity funds and holdings, providing independent advice to boards and supervisory bodies on strategy, risk, regulatory exposure and stakeholder positioning.
- Do you offer sustainability consulting aligned with the EU Green Deal?
- Yes. Our sustainability and innovation practice supports clients on environment-and-technology files, ESG and Green Deal compliance, sustainable innovation projects and access to European programmes.
- Do you organise training, workshops and executive briefings?
- We design and run executive trainings, workshops and conferences on EU regulation, governance and sustainability tailored to leadership teams, boards and technical staff.
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