Events

SETAC Europe Annual Meeting 2026

Meet us at stand #26

17-21 March 2026

MECC MAASTRICHT - Get Directions

ERM is pleased to announce its participation as an event partner at the SETAC Europe 36th Annual Meeting.

The SETAC Europe 36th Annual Meeting brings together a forward‑looking scientific programme under the theme “Embrace the outlier. In science, regulations and networks.”

The conference encourages fresh thinking by exploring how unexpected data, non‑standard methods and diverse perspectives can challenge conventions and spark innovation across science, risk assessment and regulatory practice. By valuing rigorous, transparent and reproducible science while opening space for new ideas, the meeting aims to broaden discussions, share lessons learned and showcase practical success stories. Participants will gain insights, tools and inspiration to drive meaningful change toward a safer and more sustainable future across all stakeholder groups.

Meet ERM at booth 26

ERM's participation as an exhibitor and speaker at this event underscores its commitment to advancing environmental research and sustainable practices. Engaging with the diverse topics and discussions at the conference, our team is excited to gain and share valuable insights into the latest developments in environmental toxicology and chemistry.

ERM will be presenting on a series of scientific sessions, posters, talks and papers.

Session chairing:

Ricardo Petersen Silva (ERM, Portugal), Mark Maboeta (North-West University, South Africa), Pia Kotschik (UBA, Germany), Gregor Ernst (Bayer, Germany) - Beneath the Surface: Advancing Soil Ecotoxicology and Risk Assessment for Realistic and Sustainable Ecosystem Protection

Stefan Kimmel (Corteva, Germany), Ivo Roessink (Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands), Ricardo Petersen Silva (ERM, Portugal), Heike Fremdt (Bayer, Germany) - Non-Target Arthropod Risk Assessment: A Simple Matter of Protection Goals or a Complex Web of Interactions?

Posters:

Ricardo Petersen Silva, Apostolos Koutsaftis, Ana Raquel Sales (Ascenza Agro), Ana Pereira (Ascenza Agro) - Implications of the Updated EFSA Guidance on Birds and Mammals: Evaluating the Use of the fTWA Factor in Risk Assessment

Ricardo Petersen Silva, Ieva Balaisyte, Ana Raquel Sales (Ascenza Agro), Ana Pereira (Ascenza Agro) - Applying the 2023 Central Zone Guidance: Challenges in Soil Analytical Verification for Rapidly Degrading Actives

Vera Papasova, Andrew Eatherall, Clare Lane, Ieva Balaisyte, Charles Verity- Challenges in applying the joint ECHA & EFSA water treatment guidance document for plant protection products

Vera Papasova, Clare Lane – The Non-Extractable Residue Problem in Kinetic Analysis

Silke Laucht (RIFCON), Apostolos Koutsaftis (ERM, UK), Diana Nakunst (Cosaco), Daniele Ruccia (ERM, Copper Taskforce Chairman, France) - A Field Study Examining the Acute Effects of Copper Applied as a Spray Fungicide in Citrus Orchards to Fruit-Eating Birds and the Garden Dormouse

Talks:

Apostolos Koutsaftis (ERM, UK), Matthias Weidenauer (Battelle, Switzerland) Daniele Ruccia (ERM, Copper Taskforce Chairman), Olaf Klein (Eurofins Scientific, Germany) - Copper in Plant Protection: Long-Term Field Evidence on Earthworm Recovery and Soil Accumulation

Experts at the event Hide

Daniele Ruccia

Partner Sustainable Products & Supply Chain

Daniele Ruccia is a Crop Protection Partner Lead with an agronomist background and almost 20 years in the agrochemical world, where he has been involved mostly with roles covering strategic and regulatory affairs responsibilities for the plant protection products industry. In his latest role before joining ERM in September 2021, he has been heading the global multicultural regulatory team of 30 people for a multinational post-patent company with headquarters in China.

Linda-Jean Cockcroft

Consulting Partner

Linda-Jean is a Netherlands based partner in ERM who specialises in risk assessment, sustainable products and circularity, and on advising on EU policy and strategy through a business resilience and enterprise lens. During her 17 years’ experience, including in industry, she has gained a strong track record in EU regulatory and business strategic services across multiple industry sectors. Linda-Jean is a member of ERM’s global PFAS risk management team and advises businesses and industry associations on the robust strategies to address the associated business risks of emissions of non-GHG pollutants to the environment.

Christiaan van Daalen

Consulting Director

Christiaan van Daalen is EMEA Group Lead for Chemicals Regulations, based in the Netherlands. He has 18 years experience in EU chemicals regulation, including REACH registration, chemical safety assessment, and regulatory risk management, supporting multinational companies in integrating compliance with sustainability and product stewardship strategies.

Apostolos Koutsaftis

Principal Consultant

Apostolos has worked globally for over 15 years in ecotoxicology and environmental risk assessment of hazardous substances in various sectors such as academia (post-doc research assistant in Hong Kong University), government (EPA New Zealand for almost 4 years), industry and consultancies.

Ricardo Petersen Silva

Principal Consultant

Ricardo is an ecotoxicologist with special focus on terrestrial organisms. In this role he is responsible for preparation of the ecotoxicological section of several active substance EU first time inclusions, Annex I renewals as well as various PPP dossiers and other ecotoxicological relevant documents. Ricardo is also responsible for several ecotoxicology projects in South America, with a special focus in Brazil.

Clare Lane

Principal Technical Consultant

Clare has worked in the area of environmental fate and behaviour for over 10 years, split between the UK regulatory authority and consultancy at ERM. Prior to that she spent over 10 years working in research and development for a major pharmaceutical company. Clare has a chemistry background with a BSc (Hons) from the University of Reading and a DPhil from the University of Sussex.

Whilst at the UK regulatory authority Clare gained significant experience evaluating a wide range of product types for EU approval and mutual recognition in the biocides area. She led the fate contribution for a number of insecticidal active substances and disinfectant union authorisations as well as supporting a large number of repellent and rodenticide re-registrations. Clare has led the environmental fate team at ERM for the last two years and has expanded her experience taking on projects for vector control as well as providing support to agrochemical projects and REACH.

Vera Papasova

Managing Technical Consultant

Vera Papasova is a Chemist with almost 12 years of experience in Environmental Fate. She joined ERM (UK) in 2022 as a Senior Consultant. Throughout her career, she has developed extensive expertise in environmental fate assessment and regulatory dossier preparation across Europe, bringing together her laboratory background as a Study Director and her consultancy experience.