The European Association for People Management (EAPM) was founded in 1962 by the national associations and professional institutions of personnel management in France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The organisation has been registered with the tax authorities in Switzerland, and as such, it is an association under Swiss law according to the articles 60ff ZGB (Schweizerisches Zivilgesetzbuch/Swiss Civil Code).
Since its origins, the EAPM has formed an independent European umbrella body of national HR organisations with the main objective of facilitating experience exchange among its members without profit or commercial gain.
Over the years, the EAPM has grown significantly. In 1989, it gathered 16 member organisations mainly from Western European countries. These were: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the EAPM expanded its activities to Eastern Europe.
In 2016, the EAPM undertook a major effort to revise its statutes with the objective to adjust our umbrella organisation to modern times and turn it into a more efficient, participatory and transparent organisation in line with its members’ needs.
Today, it has member associations in 34 different countries from across Europe. Each of the countries is represented by one national association or professional institute representing the national HR and people profession community.