Programme Day 1 – Wednesday 7th May 2025

09:00 – 09:15

Welcome and Introductions

Dr Irene McGrath

Managing Director, Kerona Scientific Ltd., Ireland

Session 1           Regulatory update – Southern zone and EU

09:15 – 09:45

Update from Croplife Portugal

João Cardoso

Executive Director of Croplife, Portugal

9:45 – 10.15

Biostimulant vs Biocontrol products

Dr Elisa Capellán Montoto

Managing Director, Kaeltia Consulting, Spain

10.15 – 10.45

EU developments in the regulation of plant protection products

Mark Williams (virtual presentation)

Policy Officer, European Commission

10.45-11:00

Roundtable Q&A

11:00-11.30              Coffee Break

Session 2           Risk assessment for Plant protection products under Regulation 1107/2009

11.30 – 12.00

Update on risk assessments for PPP’s

Dr Marisé Borja

Director Global Regulatory Affairs, Syntech Research Group, Spain

12.00-12.30

Topic TBC

Dr Dirk Nickisch

Senior Expert, Effect Modelling and Statistics at RIFCON GmbH, Germany

12.30 – 13.00

Challenges in the risk assessments for bees for plant protection products

Dr Elisabeth Collison

Global Regulatory Ecotoxicologist, Corteva Agriscience, UK

13.00-13:15

Roundtable Q&A

13:14-14.15              Lunch

Session 3          Regulations of PPP’s in other regions neighbouring the EU

14.15 – 14.45

Current developments in the regulation of PPP’s in GB/NI

Garth Drury

Principal Consultant at Staphyt

14.45 -15.15

Authorisation of PPP’s in Ukraine

Olga Biriulina

Pesticides/Agrochemicals Registration/ Regulatory Affairs Consultant, Ukraine

15.15 – 15.45

Procedures for authorisation of PPP’s in Switzerland

Matthew Kane

CEO, LKC Switzerland Ltd, Switzerland

15.45 -16.00

Roundtable Q&A

16.00              Finish

Programme Day 2 – Thursday 8th May 2025

09:00 – 09:15

Welcome back

Dr Irene McGrath

Managing Director, Kerona Scientific Ltd., Ireland

Session 4          Industry Feedback on the challenges with Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009

09:15 – 09:45

Viewpoint from the ECCA on challenges and opportunities in Europe

Mónica Teixeira

President of the European Crop Care Association (ECCA), Product Safety, Regulatory and R&D Director, Ascenza, Portugal

9:45 – 10.15

The new regulation on the approval of safeners and synergists in PPPs

Claudio Mereu

Partner, EU Regulatory, Fieldfisher LLP, Belgium

10.15 – 10.45

Why so few low-risk microbials are actually approved as low-risk?

Jose Carvalho

EMEA Regulatory Lead CERTIS Biologicals & IBMA Chair of Microbials Professional Group

10.45-11:00

Roundtable Q&A

11:00-11.30              Coffee Break

Session 5          The new EU FPR and borderline issues with Regulation 1107/2009

11.30 – 12.00

Borderline cases between Regulation 1107/2009 and the EU FPR

Adrián Parra Garcia

Senior Associate, Fieldfisher, Belgium

12.00-12.30

Procedures for CE Marking under the EU FPR

Francisco Gil Cuder 

CAAE, Spain 

12.30 – 13.00

Marketing of Plant Biostimulants under the EU FPR

Ferran Soldevila Elias

Managing Director and co-founder of Sun Chemicals services, S.L., Spain

13.00-13:15

Roundtable Q&A

13:14-14.15              Lunch

Session 6          Developments with biocontrol Products

14.15 – 14.45

Biocontrol case studies and experiences

José Ramón Fernández 

Chief Regulatory Officer at SEIPASA, Spain

14.45 -15.15

Biocontrol Regulation and policy in the EU

Alessandra Moccia

IBMA Vice-President

15.15 – 15.45

Requirements for authorisation of microbial PPP’s under Regulation 1107/2009

Agata Jakubowska

Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager Biocontrol, APIS S.L., Spain

15.45 -16.00

Roundtable Q&A

16.00

Closing remarks from the Conference

Dr Irene McGrath

Managing Director, Kerona Scientific Ltd., Ireland