ABOUT

Els Bruggeman is Group Manager Policy, Enforcement and Communication at Euroconsumers, the global consumer group that gathers six national consumer entities - Testachats (Belgium), Altroconsumo (Italy), OCU (Spain), Deco Proteste (Portugal), Euroconsumers Polska (Poland) and Proteste (Brazil) and leads on innovative information, personalised services and consumer empowerment. Together they represent over six million consumers.
Els is responsible for all policy and advocacy related issues, external communication, and has also coordinated joint enforcement cases, i.e. the class actions against Volkswagen (Dieselgate) and Apple (premature obsolescence) that were launched in Belgium, Italy, Spain and Portugal.
Els joined the consumer movement in 2014 when she started working as EU Public Affairs advisor for the Belgian consumer organisation Testachats/Testaankoop. Before she was active for more than 10 years in the political world, both as policy advisor and spokesperson i.a. for the Belgian Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of consumer protection.
Els Bruggeman has Master degrees in both History and Law, and Advanced Masters in International Politics and Conflict & Development Studies.