Since January 13, 1981
History
The European Collectors Association (ECA) was founded in Oslo on January 13, 1981.
At the first Annual General Meeting, 10 founding members joined, representing Scandinavian collection agencies.
The first Chairman was Baard Sig. Bratsberg (Norway), with Vice Chairman Rolf Hagström (Sweden) and Secretary General E. Freddie Hedhlund (Sweden).
The founders contributed a start capital of SEK 100,000 to cover the administration and running costs of the first year.
Growth Across Europe (1981–1982)
The initiative quickly expanded beyond Scandinavia. By 1982, member countries already included:
Belgium, France, West Germany, United Kingdom, Austria, Iceland, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Sweden.
Later in 1982, five additional countries joined:
Switzerland, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Greece.
The aim from the very beginning was to build a network of one representative member per European country.
As a client of a member agency, you can feel confident that you will be afforded the best assistance possible in collecting debt, regardless of the location of your debtors. In today’s fiercely competitive marketplace, timely and cost-effective debt recovery and debt collection is vital.
Make debt collection a high priority. And when you need the help of an international debt collection agency, choose an ECA member – your assurance of professionalism and world-wide experience. To find out more about international debt collection and how ECA can help you, please contact us or any of our members.
ECA General Assemblies
Since its first AGM in Oslo, the ECA has held its General Assemblies in numerous European capitals and beyond:
1981 Oslo | 1982 Copenhagen | 1983 Vienna | 1984 Zürich | 1985 Lisbon | …
Highlights include Berlin (1991, 2002, 2003), New York (2004), Madrid (2005), London (2013), and Firenze (2015).
Most recently: Reykjavik (2023), Lisbon (2024), and Malaga (2025).
Looking ahead, the 2026 General Assembly is planned for Cyprus.
Today
From a modest start with 10 members in 1981, the ECA has developed into a truly pan-European network.
For over 40 years, the Association has provided a platform for collaboration, exchange of expertise, and fostering trust between members across Europe and beyond.
