Mid-summer presidential address
“Dear Colleagues, dear Friends,
As we approach the end of my fourth month as President of the European Psychiatric Association, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the progress we have made together and share some developments that are shaping our path forward.
Since the beginning of the 2025-2027 mandate, we have taken significant steps in turning the vision set forth by our Board into action. I am proud to share that six dedicated Task Forces are now fully operational, each addressing a key priority area in the Action Plan: Treatment Delivery and New Settings of Care, Precision Psychiatry, Brain and Mental Health Across the Lifespan, Whole Person Health, Public Mental Health, and the Protection of Mental Health of Vulnerable Groups. These task forces bring together experts from both within and beyond the EPA community, ensuring that diverse perspectives inform our work at every stage. We have also opened important dialogues with other Associations and industry partners to explore long-term collaborations that extend beyond the annual European Congress of Psychiatry, which promises to deliver a well-attended and scientifically solid event in Prague on 28-31 March 2026.
On May 27, the EPA Board convened in Brussels and elected a new Executive Committee. I warmly welcome Prof Celso Arango as the new President-Elect, ensuring strong leadership continuity for the years ahead. Our Council of NPAs has welcomed two new members – the Kosovo Psychiatric Association and the Macedonian Psychiatric Association – further strengthening our presence across Europe.
The EPA has been strongly represented across a variety of European and international forums and conferences over the past months. In line with a collegial work, several members of our leadership had the opportunity to contribute to several institutional activities in Europe and elsewhere, such as a hearing at the Council of Europe on the Draft Additional Protocol to the Oviedo Convention (16 May 2025), a WHO/EUPHA webinar on mental health and the healthcare workforce (12 May 2025), a European Parliament event on “Breaking the Stigma – Open Conversations on Mental Health” (19 May 2025), a conference on National, Regional and International Plans for Brain Health in Bern (12 June 2025), the European Congress of Psychology in Paphos, Cyprus (3 July 2025), the EAN Congress in Helsinki (21 June 2025).
Internally, we have further strengthened our team with the recruitment of a Marketing and Communications Officer and a Congress and Events Assistant, bringing the EPA Administrative Office to 11 dedicated professionals across Strasbourg and Brussels. This expanded team supports the growing scope and ambition of our work. Let me officially warmly welcome Lisa Bouguerra and William Neville to the EPA family.
Looking to the near future, we are preparing for the launch of our first Leadership Academy in Strasbourg (5–7 September), the continuation of our 2025 Webinar Series—starting with Assessment and Management of Suicidal Crisis in Emergency Settings (10 September), and upcoming meetings of our newly launched Task Forces. We are also opening applications for the 2026 edition of the Gaining Experience Programme.
On 20 October, the EPA will host its first-ever Membership Webinar, showcasing the benefits of membership through testimonials from EPA leaders. We will also be present at key autumn events, including the 38th ECNP Congress in Amsterdam (11–14 October) and the Brain Innovation Days in Brussels (15–16 October).
In parallel, the EPA continues its successful involvement in Horizon Europe-funded projects, actively contributing to the implementation phase of ongoing initiatives while also joining several new consortia as a partner. These collaborative efforts allow us to further advance psychiatric research and policy development at the European level.
We are working closely with Cambridge University Press on the preparation of the first European Textbook of Psychiatry, the first of its kind in Europe, which will serve as a theoretical and practical guide for many students, residents, early career psychiatrists and all involved in the mental field at the European level.
We are also working hard to restructure several EPA bodies, to make them more actively involved in the EPA life, including the EPA Sections and the Early Career Psychiatrists’ Committee.
I am also pleased to announce that the EPA will continue its engagement as a member of the European Medicines Agency’s Healthcare Professionals Working Party (HCPWP) for the 2025–2028 term, a testament to our ongoing role in shaping the future of mental health care in Europe.
Finally, let me mark that the number of EPA individual members is constantly growing, witnessing the scientific, clinical and academic role of our Association not only among European mental health professionals, but also outside Europe, as shown by a significant number of colleagues from outside Europe joining our network.
I remain deeply grateful to our Executive Committee, Board, NPAs, Scientific Sections, Committees, Administrative Office, and in particular to our Executive Director for his extremely dedicated and tireless work to our Association. I also wish to take this opportunity to thank all our members and all those who are contributing to our activities: with your commitment and shared vision, we continue to build momentum for a stronger, more connected psychiatric community across Europe.
Wishing you all a restful and enjoyable summer break.”
– Andrea Fiorillo, EPA President
