Contemporary Issues Impacting European Communication Competencies

Although there is research focusing on skills, knowledge and personal attributes of communication professionals, there is no definitive research that brings these elements together in a European study. The article examines: (1) how socio-economic issues have shaped the communications profession in Turkey; (2) the disconnect between the competencies required by professional associations and educational institutions in the Netherlands; (3) the competencies required by managers and the need for practitioners to invest in further education in Germany; (4) how crisis communication emerged as a dominant specialization in Spain and the necessary competencies associated with this role; (5) the professionalization of public relations in the UK; and (6) how communication gained a reputation for conspicuous consumption in government and the public sector in Croatia and the consequences for the profession and the challenges for practitioners. The findings are based on the work of the European Communication Professionals Skills and Innovation Programme – ECOPSI (ERASMUS 2011 Ref No: 517691-LLP-1-2011-1-UK-ERASMUS-ECUE).