More Than 100 Attend CEPA’s First-Ever European Pest Management Day

Editor’s note: Frances McKim, a partner in Active Solutions, filed the following report from the inaugural European Pest Management Day, which was organized by CEPA (Confederation of European Pest Control Associations).

More than 100 delegates from 14 European countries attended the inaugural European Pest Management Day organized by CEPA and held in Brussels, Belgium, Nov. 28-29.

The event, inspired by NPMA Legislative Day, was deliberately held in Brussels — the legislative heart of the European Union. The program was designed to highlight a number of key issues emerging from the EU that will impact the European pest management market.

In addition to the conference, the group had the privilege of visiting the European Parliament, including access to the debating chamber itself – an experience new to most of those in attendance.

Opening the event, conference chairman, Ted Brown of Cophall Associates, announced: “The world has changed. The industry needs to organize itself – to be proactive, as is indicative of the ‘new’ CEPA approach.” Although at the start of proceedings, this statement proved to be the take-home message from the day.

Two EU Directives that will considerably impact the pest management industry were discussed. The first was an update on the Biocidal Products Directive. Dr Alan Buckle, Chairman of the CEFIC – European Biocidal Product Forum (EBPF), summed up the impact of this directive, stating that in 1998 before work commenced on the requirements of the directive there were 30 rodenticide active ingredients on the market – at the end of the review process there are likely to be no more than 14, and these will mainly be anticoagulants. What implications are here for resistance problems, he pondered. Likewise, Andy Adams, who chairs the equivalent forum for insecticides, showed that the problem was even greater with this sector – from an initial 200 a.i.s there are likely to be no more than around half remaining.

To add to this, is the fact that the research and development budgets of manufacturers of such active ingredients are geared to around 10% of sales. Product innovation is being starved if a large proportion of their data support finances are now committed to resolving the status of existing actives, rather than on the development of more modern novel ingredients. Only five new active ingredients have appeared for the pest market since the inception of the Biocidal Products Directive.

EASE OF CROSS-BORDER TRADING. Another industry challenge is the Services Directive. Yet to be adopted, in EU terms this directive has passed from inception (January 2004) to adoption (January 2009) in record time. Norman Rose, chairman of the European Business Services Round Table, explained: “The Directive aims to open up cross-border trading for service industries. Service industries currently account for approximately 70% of economic activity within the 27 EU countries yet only 20% of trade between member states. While the trade in goods within the EU has grown, services have not. The directive will remove the barriers to trade – it will, in effect, enable a small single country-based pest control operation to develop into a multi-national operation. Much more will be heard of this directive in the future.” Other speakers covering the Service Directive included international legal company Clifford Chance, European Government representatives and the European Trade union organisation.

Summing-up the future for the industry, Jonathan Peck, speaking on behalf of the UK Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, made the point that the industry must be proud of its achievements – achievements that need to be broadcast to the world at large. Rob Fryatt, CEPA Director General, concluded by re-emphasising the key objectives for CEPA. CEPA must represent the industry with a single voice; it needs to strengthen its base within the Brussels community and so to earn the right to lead the industry into the future.