Hot news from the ICUP event held in Zurich

Various items of industry news emerged during the recent highly successful ICUP conference held in Zurich.

Held only every three years, the 8th International Conference on Urban Pests (ICUP) was held in Zurich, Switzerland between 20-23 July 2014. Around 270 pest control research and development experts attended from all around the world – with the exception of Antarctica there were representatives from every continent.

Announcement about 9th ICUP event
In his closing address, Dr Bill Robinson, one of the driving forces behind the event announced the chairman and country for the next ICUP event to be held in 2017.

This year’s chairman of the organising committee, Gabi Má¼ller, passes the baton onto Matthew Davies who is a technical advisor for Killgerm Chemicals. Although the actual location has still to be finalised, the 9th conference will be held within the UK.

This will be the second time a member of Killgerm’s staff has acted as chairman. Dr Moray Anderson fulfilled this role at the second event held in 1996 in Edinburgh.

CEPA updates CEN progress & announces Worldwide Pest Summit
Much has been written about the work undertaken by the Confederation of European Pest Management Associations (CEPA) in the creation of a professional standard covering pest management services within Europe – colloquially referred to as the CEN initiative.

CEPA director general, Roland Higgins, supported by CEPA treasurer, Frederic Verwilghen, outlined the objectives and progress of this initiative.

Following an extensive consultation process, all the stakeholder comments have now been reviewed and the document finalised. At best, the Standard should be available for publication in March 2015.

Roland also announced that the first pest control Global Pest Summit is to be held in June 2015. This event has long been talked about but is finally to happen. It is to be a combined event involving both CEPA and also the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) from the USA.

Updated 5 August. Further details now announced.

Creation of new National Environmental Health Board
As alluded to by Graham Jukes, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) at Jonathan Peck’s memorial presentations – see here – Joanna Fozzard added further detail as to what is to come during her presentation given on behalf of the National Pest Advisory Panel (NPAP).

A new organisation is to be jointly created – to be called the National Environmental Health Board – by CIEH along with Public Health England. The aim of the new Board is to act as the national strategic body for pest control and will become the primary vehicle of information to government relating to pests.

Again further details, once all finalised, to follow later this autumn.

Matt Davies is to be the next ICUP
organising committee chairman