Federation of European Publishers/Fédération des éditeurs européens

What Federation of European Publishers/Fédération des éditeurs européens does

The Federation of European Publishers (FEP) is an independent, non-commercial umbrella association founded on 19 January 1967 in Brussels, Belgium. It represents 31 national associations of book, learned journal, and educational material publishers across EU member states and additional European countries including Norway, Iceland, Serbia, Montenegro, Ukraine, and Tunisia. FEP serves as the unified collective voice of European publishers at the EU level, providing advocacy on copyright, AI regulation, taxation, trade, and digital policy, while also producing annual market intelligence such as the European Book Market Statistics.

FEP's core "products" are services rather than technology. These include the European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) co-managed with EIBF and EWC; annual statistical publications tracking publisher turnover (€24.9 billion in 2024), new titles (580,000 in 2024), and unit sales (~2.5 billion copies); and a portfolio of EU-funded consortium projects (Creative Europe, Horizon 2020) including ALDUS UP, Tales of EUkraine, Möbius, SIDT Books, Eudicom, ASAP, TISP, and creativeSHIFT. There is no proprietary technology stack — the value resides in regulatory access, convening power, and aggregated industry data.

The business model is non-commercial. Operating revenue derives from two streams: recurring membership dues from 31 national publisher associations, and project-based funding from EU programmes (Creative Europe, Horizon 2020). A Brussels secretariat of approximately 5–10 staff executes operations, led by Director Anne Bergman-Tahon, Deputy Director Enrico Turrin, and Legal Advisor Quentin Deschandelliers. Governance rests with the membership through an elected President (Sonia Draga, first female President) and Vice-President.

Name

Federation of European Publishers/Fédération des éditeurs européens

Legal name

Federation of European Publishers

Website

https://fep-fee.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Federation of European Publishers (FEP) is a Brussels-based non-profit umbrella association, founded 1967, representing 31 national publisher associations across Europe and providing collective EU-level advocacy, market statistics, and coordination of EU-funded publishing projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: FEP represents 31 national associations of publishers. Revenue is derived from membership contributions from national publisher associations across Europe.
2. EU Project Funding: FEP participates in and coordinates multiple EU-funded projects (Creative Europe, Horizon 2020) that provide project-based funding for specific initiatives such as ALDUS UP, Tales of EUkraine, Möbius, and others.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Federation of European Publishers (FEP) is a non-profit umbrella association representing 31 national publisher associations across Europe. It provides collective policy advocacy on copyright, AI, taxation, and trade issues at the EU level, publishes annual European Book Market Statistics, and coordinates multiple EU-funded projects (Creative Europe and Horizon 2020) such as ALDUS UP, Möbius, SIDT Books, Eudicom, creativeSHIFT, and Tales of EUkraine. It also co-manages the European Union Prize for Literature with EIBF and EWC.

Product overview

FEP is an independent, non-commercial umbrella association representing 31 national associations of book, learned journal, and educational material publishers across Europe. Rather than offering a technology product, FEP provides advocacy services, publishes annual market statistics and research reports, coordinates EU-funded projects, and organizes industry events. Key offerings include the European Book Publishing Statistics and European Book Market Statistics publications, the European Union Prize for Literature award program, and multiple EU-funded projects including ALDUS UP, Möbius, SIDT Books, Eudicom, ASAP, TISP, creativeSHIFT, and Tales of EUkraine. FEP also coordinates Author-Publisher Dialogues, campaigns like #CopyrightforFreedom, and advocacy initiatives on copyright, AI, accessibility, and trade policy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL): A prize coordinated by EIBF, EWC and FEP to promote contemporary European fiction and literary translation.
• ALDUS UP
• Tales of EUkraine
• Möbius
• SIDT Books
• European Authors Day

Products and services

• European Book Publishing Statistics
• European Book Market Statistics
• European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL)
• ALDUS UP – European Book Fairs' Network
• Möbius
• SIDT Books
• Eudicom
• ASAP (Anticipatory Skills for Adapting the Publishing Sector)
• TISP (Technology and Innovation for Smart Publishing)
• creativeSHIFT
• Tales of EUkraine
• Policy Advocacy and Lobbying Services

Quantifiable outcome

• €24.9 billion in annual publisher sales represented
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Public Lending Right International (PLRI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 December 2025FEP is a founding member of PLRI, an international association established to bring together lending rights stakeholders from across the globe, exchanging best practices and providing technical assistance for PLR systems
• Möbius Consortium (EURECAT-coordinated)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2021Horizon 2020 funded project (€4.4M, Mar 2021-Feb 2024) aimed at stimulating innovation in publishing by leveraging prosumers. FEP participates in the consortium
• Frankfurt Book Fair and Bologna Children's Book Fair (International book fairs)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2016Founding partners of ALDUS network, which grew to include 16 European book fairs, promoting internationalization and digital shift in publishing
• European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFEP collaborates with EIBF on joint initiatives including the European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL), joint statements on copyright and geo-blocking, and advocacy for the book sector at EU level
• European Writers' Council (EWC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFEP co-manages the European Union Prize for Literature with EWC and EIBF, and collaborates on copyright and author rights advocacy
• Italian Publishers Association (AIE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIE coordinates the ALDUS UP project, with FEP leading the dissemination work package. AIE is also a key partner in EUPL and other initiatives
• Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels (German Publishers and Booksellers Association)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey member association collaborating on EU projects including Tales of EUkraine and ALDUS network. BOEV coordinates the donation project for Ukrainian publishers
• Beletrina Academic Press (Slovenia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative partner in SIDT Books project, providing training modules for small and medium-sized book publishing companies on innovation and business practices
• Fundación Germán Sánchez Ruipérez (Spain)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in SIDT Books project, contributing to training modules and market analyses for European publishing companies
• Lietuvos Leidėjų Asociacija (Lithuanian Publishers Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in SIDT Books project, participating in development of training modules for publishers
• Rüdiger Wischenbart Content and Consulting (Austria)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject coordinator for SIDT Books, responsible for overall project management and coordination of training modules
• IZNEO (European digital comics platform)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium leader for Eudicom project, supporting European comics publishers in preparing for digital distribution through research and capacity building
• Polish Book Chamber (PIK)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in Tales of EUkraine project, representing 149 publishers and 70% of Polish market, working on Ukrainian refugee children's book integration
• Romanian Publishers Association (AER)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Tales of EUkraine, representing 72 member publishers and organizing Bookfest events
• Bulgarian Book Association (ABK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Tales of EUkraine, representing over 90% of book publishing in Bulgaria
• Association of Publishers and Booksellers of Slovakia (ZVKS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Tales of EUkraine, representing 85 member companies (80% of Slovak book trade market)
• Ukrainian Book Institute (UBI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency under Ukrainian Ministry of Culture, partner in Tales of EUkraine providing coordination with Ukrainian publishers and implementing translation support programs
• Börsenverein Gruppe (Frankfurt Book Fair)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in creativeSHIFT project, providing advisory and practical services for the book and media industry through Frankfurt Book Fair
• MEDIAPROminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean audiovisual sector leader, partner in creativeSHIFT bringing content integration, production and distribution expertise
• SPIELFABRIQUEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGaming ecosystem supporter, partner in creativeSHIFT focusing on cross-border collaborations in European video game industry
• Music Innovation HubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic industry think tank and production company, partner in creativeSHIFT project
• European Music CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean music network with 75+ members from 28 countries, partner in creativeSHIFT
• Frankfurt Book FaircoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLargest book fair worldwide, partner in TISP project and host of FEP annual Rendez-Vous events, managing surveys on R&D needs of publishers

Scale indicators8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• International Publishers Association (IPA): Global umbrella association of publishers' associations. Directly comparable as the worldwide counterpart to FEP's regional (European) role; FEP engages with IPA on joint statements and initiatives.
• European Writers' Council (EWC): European umbrella of writers' and literary translators' organisations. Operates the same EU-level advocacy model as FEP for the authors' side of the book value chain and co-manages EUPL with FEP and EIBF.
• European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF): Umbrella federation of national booksellers' associations in Europe. Directly comparable in mandate and structure to FEP, and a long-standing partner in EUPL and other joint advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• Association of American Publishers (AAP): US national trade association for publishers. Broadly comparable in advocacy, statistics, and copyright focus, but operates in a different regulatory environment (US copyright law, fair use).
• International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers (STM): Global trade association for scholarly and academic publishers. Comparable in operating model (advocacy, standards, data) but serves a distinct sub-segment (STM journals and books).

Regional players

• Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA): US-based trade association for independent publishers. Comparable as an industry body providing advocacy and member services, though focused on the US market.
• Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels: National trade body for German publishers and booksellers. Comparable to FEP's national-association members and a key FEP partner (Tales of EUkraine, ALDUS, creativeSHIFT).
• The Publishers Association (UK): UK national trade body for book publishers. Directly comparable to other FEP member associations in scope, though post-Brexit operates outside EU policy frameworks.
• Associazione Italiana Editori (AIE): Italian national publishers' association. Comparable as a FEP member that itself coordinates major EU projects (ALDUS UP lead) and is active in copyright, digital education, and AI policy.
• Syndicat National de l'Édition (SNE): French national publishers' association. Direct structural peer to a German or UK equivalent and member of FEP; comparable in advocacy, statistics, and copyright policy work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FEP_EU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/federation-of-european-publishers-f%C3%A9d%C3%A9ration-des-%C3%A9diteurs-europ%C3%A9ens

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Federation of European Publishers/Fédération des éditeurs européens