Governance & Strategic Direction

Continuity and Transition.

The year 2025 marked a moment of institutional renewal for EUMEPS. At the General Assembly in April, Agata Gladysz-Stanczyk was elected unanimously as the new President of EUMEPS. She succeeds Dr Klaus Ries, whose four-year term was marked by the relocation of the association to Brussels, the strengthening of the Secretariat, and the consolidation of EUMEPS’s role at the European level.

Reflecting on this transition, Jürgen Lang, Director General of EUMEPS, stated:

“The election of the new Board of Directors, under the leadership of Agata Gladysz-Stanczyk, marks a key milestone for EUMEPS. Over the next two years, our focus will be to elevate the profile of EPS in the European sustainability dialogue, highlighting its advantages in energy efficiency, affordability, durability and recyclability. We remain committed to working closely with EU policymakers, industry stakeholders and civil society to promote high-performance, circular solutions that support climate neutrality and drive the energy transition.
I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to Dr Klaus Ries and the outgoing Board of Directors for their dedication, trust and strategic guidance over the past years. Their leadership has enabled EUMEPS to grow stronger, more visible, and better equipped to represent the EPS value chain at the European level. We now build on this solid foundation with renewed energy and ambition.”

Jürgen Lang

Director General of EUMEPS

In her first address to members, Agata Gladysz-Stanczyk commented:

“The election of the new Board of Directors, under the leadership of Agata Gladysz-Stanczyk, marks a key milestone for EUMEPS. Over the next two years, our focus will be to elevate the profile of EPS in the European sustainability dialogue, highlighting its advantages in energy efficiency, affordability, durability and recyclability. We remain committed to working closely with EU policymakers, industry stakeholders and civil society to promote high-performance, circular solutions that support climate neutrality and drive the energy transition. I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to Dr Klaus Ries and the outgoing Board of Directors for their dedication, trust and strategic guidance over the past years. Their leadership has enabled EUMEPS to grow stronger, more visible, and better equipped to represent the EPS value chain at the European level. We now build on this solid foundation with renewed energy and ambition.”

Agata Gladysz-Stanczyk

New President of EUMEPS

A New Set of Core Values

As part of this strategic renewal, the General Assembly also adopted a set of core values for the association. These values—developed over the course of the year in close cooperation with members and under full compliance with competition law—emphasise technical integrity, fairness, diversity, and intergenerational collaboration. The Women of EUMEPS campaign, launched in May, reflects one of the first visible outcomes of this process.

Strategic initiatives and long-term planning

After more than two years of discussion, the Malta Project received final approval from the RMS Group. This initiative, developed in collaboration with key Maltese stakeholders, aims to make Malta the first EU Member State where 100% of EPS is recycled, reinforcing EPS's image as the irreplaceable, sustainable, high-quality material in packaging and construction. Implementation steps are now underway.

A New ETICS Expert Joins the Secretariat

2025 also marked the start of a new chapter in EUMEPS’s work on ETICS and façade systems. Bianca Sereinig joined the Secretariat as a freelancer to lead this portfolio, taking over from Eric Las, who had contributed to this field for many years with deep technical expertise and steady commitment. EUMEPS extends its sincere thanks to Eric for his longstanding engagement. This handover represents a positive example of continuity and knowledge transfer within a specialised and evolving domain.