Over two days in Brussels, on 29 and 30 September 2026, FACE delegates representing 37 member associations from across Europe came together for the FACE General Assembly meetings, taking an active part in every session. FACE’s Associate Members were also strongly represented.

The meetings opened with the FACE Board, followed by an internal Strategy session and the FACE Communication Working Group where Members agreed a shared plan of action for Game Meat Week (2–8 November 2026) and for FACE’s 50th anniversary in 2027. The guest presentations brought fresh perspectives, from FACE’s long-term influence and the future of hunting apps to Danish initiatives connecting children with nature and hunting through food. A particular highlight was Renée Thornton, founder of the Wild Sheep Foundation’s Women Hunt® programme, who spoke on women and hunting. Delegates also joined a strategy session to help shape FACE’s next strategy, so that the process remains firmly Member-driven.

That same day, FACE and the European Landowners’ Organization (ELO) held a debate in the European Parliament on “The Stress Test of the Nature Directives: Next steps for wildlife conservation and management in Europe”. It was hosted by MEP Juan Ignacio Zoido, President of the “Biodiversity Hunting Countryside” Intergroup. MEPs, the European Commission, rural stakeholders and a large delegation of FACE Members filled the room, making it one of FACE’s strongest events in the Parliament in the last ten years. Commissioner Jessika Roswall followed the entire debate, answered questions from the floor and stayed on afterwards to exchange views with participants. The day ended with a Gala Dinner co-sponsored by SCI, and FACE warmly thanks Safari Club International for its generous support of the evening.

On 30 September, the General Assembly got down to business in an operational and positive atmosphere. Members discussed the stress test of the Birds and Habitats Directives and what it could mean for bird hunting and large carnivores. They then turned to how the EU is regulating hunting dogs, and to restoring small game populations in Europe, with ELO sharing its view on how the CAP can benefit nature. A closing panel with the CIC, the Wild Sheep Foundation and the SCI Foundation looked at how to make the global agenda work for hunting and conservation.

The Assembly ended on a high note, with a donation of USD 50,000 from the Wild Sheep Foundation and its President and CEO, Gray Thornton, to support FACE’s advocacy work, for which FACE is very grateful.

FACE Members will meet again in Vienna in March 2027, before returning to Brussels on 28–29 September 2027 for a General Assembly that will include elections and the celebration of FACE’s 50th anniversary.

Concluding the series of meetings, Laurens Hoedemaker, President of FACE, said: “FACE has a strong and united membership and a highly active team in Brussels. As we look towards our 50th anniversary, we want to build on that strength by being even more proactive: getting into the driving seat, setting the agenda for hunting and conservation in Europe, and shaping the debates that will determine our future.”