This week, the leaders of Europe’s national hunting associations, representing over 7 million hunters, met in Brussels for the FACE General Assembly. A key highlight of the event was the election of the new FACE President and the appointment of the FACE Board members.

An extraordinary tribute was paid to the outgoing FACE President, Mr. Torbjörn Larsson, who successfully concluded his second three-year term. Over his two mandates, Mr. Larsson’s leadership brought substantial organisational advancements and reforms to FACE. The membership expressed their gratitude for his dedication and noted their intention to maintain the progress achieved during his tenure. The General Assembly subsequently appointed Torbjörn Larsson as an Honorary FACE President.

FACE Members elected Mr. Laurens Hoedemaker as their new President. A veterinarian by training and an experienced FACE delegate, having previously served as Vice President and Treasurer, Mr. Hoedemaker is well-acquainted with FACE’s operations and is expected to provide valuable input and further momentum to FACE’s advocacy efforts.

Reflecting on the unity of Europe’s hunters, Mr. Hoedemaker remarked: “Hunters united in diversity: This reflects our shared commitment to hunting and conservation. Though we have many different hunting cultures and traditions across Europe, we are united in our goal to conserve biodiversity and promote sustainable hunting for future generations”.

The FACE Board was also elected for the next three years comprising of:

• President, Laurens Hoedemaker
• Treasurer General, David Clavadetscher
• Vice-president, Germany, Helmut Dammann-Tamke
• Vice-president, United Kingdom, Ian Bell
• Vice-president, Italy, Gian Luca Dall’Olio
• Vice-president, France, Nicolas Rivet
• Vice-president, Spain, Manuel Gallardo
• Vice-president, Nordic Region, Claus Lind Christensen
• Vice-president, Baltic Region, Linda Dombrovska
• Vice-president, Mediterranean Region, Lino Farrugia
• Vice-president, Atlantic Region, John Flannery
• Vice-president, South-East Region, Vasil Vasilev
• Vice-president, Central Region, Srečko Žerjav
• Secretary General, David Scallan

In addition to the new presidential appointment, the assembly approved the FACE Work Plan for 2025 and key policy positions for the coming year. This included a new FACE position on improving biodiversity within the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) – available here: EN, FR, DE – which calls for a range of measures to promote small game populations that are attractive to incentivise farmer engagement.

The day concluded with FACE Members participating in the high-profile event at the European Parliament, titled “Hunting and Conservation: Key Priorities for the Next Five Years”. The event was hosted by MEP Alex Agius Saliba, who emphasised the crucial role hunters play in the field. MEP Agius Saliba – whose role is key in gathering support within the European Parliament towards the re-establishment of the “Biodiversity, Hunting, Countryside” Intergroup – underscored the importance of collaboration with the hunting community in implementing European environmental policies. Keynote speeches were delivered by Laurens Hoedemaker, FACE President, Andrea Vettori, Head of the Nature Conservation Unit in the European Commission (DG Environment), Ariel Brunner, Regional Director at BirdLife Europe and Central Asia, and Jurgen Tack, Secretary General, European Landowners’ Organization.