CEPA – MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT – LOOKING AHEAD TO 2026
NEWSLETTER – First edition – 07 January 2026
On behalf of the Board and the CEPA team, I wish you all a very happy and successful New Year. We look forward to continuing our work together in 2026.
As we close the chapter on an exceptional anniversary year and step into 2026, I would like, on behalf of the Board of Directors, to warmly thank all our members for their continued trust, engagement, and commitment to CEPA.
Looking ahead to 2026, we are embarking on several important projects. First, we will undertake a complete redesign of the CEPA website. This overhaul will reflect members’ feedback, particularly regarding certification, and will bring our digital tools fully up to date. It will also allow us to manage member and certification databases in a secure and confidential manner.
We are also preparing a conference on invasive species, expected to take place in the second half of 2026. The organising committee is expected to meet as early as January to define both the logistical framework and the substantive content. We look forward to sharing more details with you very soon.
CEPA is also pleased to be coordinating and participating in the Global Health Summit, to be held in Hong Kong in June 2026. This will be a key opportunity to reinforce CEPA’s positioning within the One Health framework and to further integrate One Health messaging into our advocacy and media outreach activities.
In parallel, we are finalising several strategic deliverables, including a document on How to Implement the Standard EN16636, with updated content and multilingual versions, as well as the IPM Academy, which will provide structured and practical resources for the sector. We are also completing a series of fact sheets on key species.
Overall, CEPA’s priorities for 2026 focus on further professionalising the sector, strengthening its capacity to respond to public health and environmental challenges, and enhancing its role as a key contributor to the One Health approach.
I would like to take this opportunity, through this new newsletter, to look back on some of the key moments and achievements that shaped 2025 for CEPA, which you will find highlighted in the
pages below.
Best wishes,
Marc Aubry,
President of CEPA
ADVANCING KNOWLEDGE AND EVIDENCE ACROSS EUROPE
Throughout the year, CEPA continued to strengthen its scientific and technical work to support evidence-based decision-making.
A major pan-European survey on bed bugs was conducted, gathering insights from 417 pest management professionals across Europe. The results provide valuable data on trends, challenges and operational practices.
The full results can be found here.
CEPA also published the results of its survey on indoor mouse infestations, with over 4,000 responses collected across 33 countries. This extensive dataset offers an unprecedented overview of rodent issues in indoor environments across Europe.
The full results can be found here.
STRENGTHENING EU-LEVEL ADVOCACY AND REGULATORY ENGAGEMENT
In 2025, CEPA remained actively engaged with European institutions and regulatory bodies.
CEPA participated in Implementation Dialogues with the European Commission (DG SANTE – Biocides Unit), with a particular focus on anticoagulant rodenticides (AVKs), market-access delays, and the implementation and transposition of the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR).
A strategic CEPA brief was shared with EU authorities, promoting a One Health approach. This document highlighted the essential public-health role of pest management and called for balanced, risk-based and proportionate regulation.
CEPA also contributed to several ECHA public consultations, coordinating common positions among members to ensure that regulatory decisions remain grounded in science and operational realities.
Through these actions, CEPA further strengthened its position as a trusted, evidence-based partner for EU authorities, consistently advocating for prevention, professionalism and sustainability.
At the international level, we engaged in discussions with key partners, including representatives from the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
CHANGES WITHIN THE ASSOCIATION
In 2025, CEPA bid farewell to three long-standing and dedicated Board members – Jorge Galván (ANECPLA), Brigitte Guillot (CS3D), and Alex Ashmore (Pelsis). We thank them sincerely for their commitment and their significant contributions to CEPA’s mission.
At the same time, we were pleased to welcome Ines Rodrigues and Gauthier Bodivit to the Board of Directors, and we look forward to advancing our work with their expertise.
ONGOING AND UPCOMING CONSULTATIONS
Several important regulatory consultations are currently open or upcoming, requiring close attention from the sector.
1. BPR Evaluation – Call for Evidence and Public Consultation
Feedback deadline: 5 March 2026
The European Commission has published a Call for Evidence and public consultation concerning the evaluation of the Biocidal Products Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 (BPR). The aim of the evaluation is to assess how the BPR, including its delegated and implementing acts, is performing in relation to its objectives and whether it meets existing and emerging needs. In line with the Better Regulation Guidelines, the BPR will be assessed against five evaluation criteria:
effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence and EU added value.
The consultation is available on the EU website:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14527-Biocidal-Products-Regulation-evaluation_en
2. ECHA Consultation on Imidacloprid (PT18)
Consultation end date: 9 February 2026
The consultation is available on the ECHA website:
https://www.echa.europa.eu/current-candidates-for-substitution-and-derogations-conditions
3. ECHA Consultation on Tebuconazole (PT8)
Consultation end date: 13 February 2026
This consultation concerns a potential candidate for substitution and a derogation under Article 5(2) of the BPR.
The consultation is available on the ECHA website:
Consultations on potential candidates for substitution and on derogations conditions – ECHA (europa.eu)
Interested third parties wishing to contribute must submit their input before the closure of the consultations.
CEPA will continue to monitor these processes closely and support members in coordinating clear, consistent and science-based positions.