Eppa (European Promotional Products Association) was established in 1999 as an umbrella organisation for the European promotional product market. Its membership consists of associations representing suppliers (manufacturers, importers) and distributors (promotional product traders and consultants). The promotional product industry has been influenced by the increasing internationalisation of its business operations and, due to its extensive range of products, is heavily dependent on EU legislation. Therefore, Eppa’s primary concern is to shape the basic political, social and economic conditions of the European promotional product market. Its current member companies, from 12 European countries, amount to over 8,000 businesses from the promotional product sector. Eppa is a registered umbrella organisation in Germany, looking after the interests of its European membership from its Darmstadt branch.