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Chara Panagopoulou is an agronomist with over 30 years of experience in plant protection products (PPP) policy working in the Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food, department of Plant Protection Products (PPPs), since 1995. Her field of expertise is directly link to all matters related to PPPs participating in both national and international bodies. She is the Greek representative to the PPPs legislation section of the EU Standing Committee (SCoPAFF), as well as a member of the Greek delegate participating as an expert in the current ongoing discussions at the EU Council for the proposed by the EU Commission regulation on the sustainable use of pesticides (SUR). During these years of working in the Ministry she was involved in various working groups at EU level such as post approval issues, south zone steering committee, comparative risk assessment etc. She is responsible for the risk management of PPPs and for the communication with stakeholders, farmers and the public. She also develops national legislation and constructs guidance documents on various topics related to PPPs . She is also a GEP accreditation auditor. She is passionate about promoting integrated pest management and ensuring food quality and safety.

1982 Engineer of Agronomy Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

1988 PhD in Plant Pathology-Phytopharmacology, Agricultural University of Athens

Professional experience: 1986-1993 Ministry of Rural Development and Food, Department of Pesticides (Fungicides registration, National representative in various working groups for pesticides in European Commission.

1993-94 :  Research Scientist-  National Agricultural Research Foundation – Vine Institute

1995-2010 Senior Research Scientist, Head of the Laboratory of Biological Control/Efficacy of Pesticides (since 2003), Department of Pesticides Control & Phytopharmacy

3/2011-today: Regulatory Affairs Manager of ADAMA Hellas.

Participation and Coordination in European Research Projects, About 80 research publications in International and National Journals and Conferences. Training experience on the effective and rational use of pesticides. Reviewer of research papers and projects. Organizing and Scientific Committee of various Conferences. Technical support /Presentations in meeting days and Conferences of Adama Hellas products.

Committees of Hellenic Crop Protection Association: President of Integrated Pest Management, Environment and Food (2015-today). Member of Sustainable Use of PPPs/SUR (2022-today) and member of the Working group for Farm to Fork and Biodiversity and connection with Common Agricultural Practice (2020-today).

Machi Symeonidou is a Business Development Manager with more than 15 years of experience in business strategy, corporation management and operational improvement under her belt. As an Agroeconomist, passionate about agricultural technologies, in 2016, together with a team of experts she co-founded AgroApps, a company dedicated to the provision of sustainable solutions that help modern farming and agriculture. As an active entrepreneur, Machi has played pivotal roles in founding two companies and leading them to successful exit. Throughout her career, she has overseen diverse projects, managed exceptional teams and established effective networks within the agri-food sector. Always eager to explore innovative ideas, she is equally driven to swiftly transform discussions into tangible, real-world implementations.

Prof. Alex Koutsouris is the Head of the Unit of Agricultural Extension, Rural Systems & Rural Sociology, Dept. of Agricultural Economics & Rural Development, Agricultural University of Athens. Specialist in agricultural extension (interactive innovation (and) communication) and agricultural education/training as well as in sustainable rural development with emphasis on participatory methods. He has been President of the steering committees of IFSA (International Farming Systems Association/ European Group; 2016-2018) and ESEE (European Society/Seminar of Extension Education 2015-2017). Ex Assistant editor (2010-2018) and Co-editor (2018-2021) and currently Member of the Editorial Committee, The Journal of Agricultural Education & Extension; invited expert in SWG SCAR-AKIS. He participates/ed in several research and collaboration projects including H2020 projects.

Ilias Eleftherochorinos is an Emeritus Professor of Weed Science of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), member of the Hellenic Agricultural Academy and member of the Agricultural University of Athens Aministration Council. He was President of the School of Agriculture of AUTH, President of the Hellenic Weed Science Society, member of the Benaki Phytopathological Institute Advisory Board, member of the Scientific Council of the National Agricultural Research Foundation, and member of the Committee of the Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food to assess the effects of the Directive 914/414/EEC replacement on the Greek agriculture market placing of plant protection products. His research and writing works include 96 papers published in international scientific journals (Web of Science) and many other papers (>200) published in proceedings of international and Greek conferences. The international recognition of his scientific publications includes 2592 citations (Web of Science) with h-index of 24.

1999: Graduated from the University of Thessaly, Department of Agriculture, Direction of Plant Production

2000: Msc in Agricultural Engineering Natural Resources Management (University of Thessaly)

Working experience:

2000: Laboratory support technician in the Postgraduate Studies (University of Thessaly)

2001: Cotton Organisation

2002: Prefectural administration of Magnesia

2004-2005: Sales and marketing support (BASF Agrochemical Company)

2007-now: Head Agronomist for Plant Protection at the Agricultural Cooperative of Zagora Pelion and supervisor for the monitoring of the certification procedures of the Cooperative (Global Gap, Agro)

Dr George Salpingidis obtains a bachelor degree in Agriculture from Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki and also, he is a PhD holder from Imperial college, university of London. He developed scientific and research works with several sited publications and he has participated in many conferences, congresses and research projects. He is working for the E. Tsantalis s. a. Group as viticultural director. He is a certified agricultural advisor from ELGO DIMITRA. He worked for the ATEI of Thessaloniki as an adjunct professor and he has great experience in adult training and teaching.

Thanasis Zounos is an agronomist from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with postgraduate studies in the University of Aberdeen, Scotland on crop protection. He has been working at the Ministry of Rural Development and Food for the last 23 years, 16 of which in the Department of Plant Protection Products while the last 7 in the Department of Plant Protection where he also serves as Head. In the Plant Protection Product department, his main objective was biocidal products. He was the Greek representative in the EU during the discussions on the preparation of the EU regulation 528/2012 concerning biocidal products, a member of the EU Biocidal Products Committee, a national expert, and a member of several working groups on biocides. Since 2017, he has been the Greek national expert in the EU working group for the implementation of Directive 128/2009/EU (SUD) on the Sustainable Use of PPPs and lately member of the Greek delegation in the ongoing discussions held in the Council of the EU for the regulation proposed by the European Commission for the sustainable use of pesticides (SUR). His responsibilities include the implementation of integrated plant protection in Greece, the monitoring of the European indicators of the use of plant protection products HR 1 and 2, the preparation and updating of the guides of integrated plant protection per crop, the provision of knowledge to the farmers in matters of integrated plant protection, the approval of plant protection formulations containing Biological Control Agents (BCAs), the organization and the supervision of the National program for the protection of olive cultivation from the olive fruit fly etc.

Dr. Vassilis Kotoulas is the Head of malting barley contract farming program of Athenian Brewery. He received his BSc in Agronomy from Agricultural University of Athens, in 2002 and his MSc and PhD from Agricultural University of Athens in 2005 and 2010 respectively. He has been involved in numerous EU and national research projects collaborating with both Agricultural University (2005-2013) and Benaki Phytopathological Institute (2011-2012). From 2010 to 2013 he worked as a Trainer at the Institute of Agricultural Sciences.  He is a co-author in many scientific publications in international journals.