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Editor’s note: Frances McKim, editor of UK-based Pest magazine, filed the following report after attending this CEPA meeting held in London during PestEx 2009.
LONDON - On Thursday, the European Pest Management Industry Association (CEPA) held its General Assembly meeting at ExCeL in London’s Docklands during Pestex 2009.
Reviewing the year, CEPA Director General Rob Fryatt reported on what had been another successful and consolidating year. Membership had increased, events had been well attended, the interface with other industry bodies had strengthened and the standing of CEPA with the European Commission in Brussels had risen.
After four years at the helm, Robert Stuyt stepped down as president. Gunnar Ackerblom from the leading Swedish servicing company, Anticimex, was elected president and will be joined by two vice-presidents – Frédéric Verwilghen (Vice President of the Belgium Pest Control Association) and Patrick Vernié from Bayer (representing the manufacturer’s college.)
In addition, CEPA held two seminars. The first was aimed at opportunities available to the smaller national associations and the second addressed progress on the European pest control industry’s project with the European Committee for Standardization (CEN).
CEPA was very pleased to welcome as a guest at the meeting, Junichiro Katayama, the President of FAOPMA, their sister organization in Asia.
As part of the growing collaboration between CEPA and FAOPMA, Junichiro offered all delegates a warm invitation to attend the forthcoming FAOPMA conference and exhibition to be held in Beijing on 25-27 November 2009.