Press release
2026 European Conference in Segovia – setting the course for the future of the EE
From 14 to 16 May 2026, delegates from the European Association for Poultry, Pigeon, Rabbit, Bird and Cavy Breeding (EE) gathered in Segovia (Spain) for this year’s European Conference. The historic city, whose old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, provided a fitting setting for the deliberations and meetings of the European breeding associations with its unique atmosphere.
The Spanish hosts had organised the event superbly and ensured that everything ran smoothly. In addition to the official meetings, the conference offered numerous opportunities for professional exchange and for fostering international contacts.
Key resolutions of the General Meeting
A key decision taken at this year’s European Conference was the admission of new member associations. The Bird and Cavy Sections from Bulgaria, as well as the British Cavy Association, were unanimously admitted to the EE. The delegates expressly welcomed this expansion, as it further strengthens European cooperation and promotes the development of the individual sectors.
In the regular elections, both the President and the Treasurer of the EE were unanimously re-elected to their posts. The clear vote underlines the member associations’ confidence in the work carried out by the association’s leadership to date.
Another important topic was the protection of the EE logo on leg rings for the pigeon and poultry sections. From 2027 onwards, the protected EE rings may only be used by member associations of the EE. During the conference, discussions took place on this matter with the leading European ring manufacturers, who also presented their companies and products at the section meetings.
New perspectives for the European exhibitions
The findings of the ‘Future’ working group featured prominently. Over the past few months, this group had been working intensively on the further development of the European exhibition landscape. The aim is to ensure that European exhibitions remain attractive, organisationally feasible and economically viable in the long term.
A new four-year model was presented. Under this model, a general European exhibition, covering all sections, would in future take place only once every four years. In the intervening years, breed-specific European shows are to continue to be held. In addition, section-specific European shows are to be possible two years after a general European show. This model is intended, in particular, to give smaller associations the opportunity to host international events and to become more involved in the European show scene.
New ideas for the organisation of future European shows were also discussed. Among other things, consideration is being given to replacing the existing national pavilions with a central ‘meeting place’. This is intended to further enhance interaction between nations and increase the appeal for visitors. Concrete proposals are to be drawn up in collaboration with the organiser of the next European show and presented at the next European conference.
European show 2028 in Poland
Mit großer Vorfreude blickt die EE bereits auf die nächste Europaschau. Diese wird vom 17. bis 19. November 2028 im polnischen Kielce stattfinden. Gleichzeitig wurde dem slowakischen Verband nochmals für die erfolgreiche Durchführung der Europaschau 2025 in Nitra gedankt. Die Veranstaltung wurde in allen Sparten als großer Erfolg gewertet und fand bei Ausstellern wie Besuchern gleichermaßen großen Zuspruch.
European Conference 2027
The next European Conference will take place from 6 to 8 May 2027 in Peć, Kosovo. A conference format shortened by one day is to be trialled there for the first time.
Reports from the sections
The individual sections also used the conference for discussions, elections and planning upcoming events.
Birds section meeting:
At the meeting of the Birds Section, the organisers met with delegates from seven countries. Bulgaria was unanimously admitted as a new member.
A breed-specific EE show for zebra finches in Hungary was approved for 2026. The organiser will publish all relevant information in good time and comply with the applicable regulations.
Regarding the national championships, it was reported that Croatia will be hosting a championship. The Netherlands are once again planning a joint small animal show. The German Championship will take place in Bad Salzuflen in December 2026. Austria will not be holding a national championship.
New elections: Sven Pukat was unanimously elected Vice-President of the Birds Section, and Winnie Pukat was elected Secretary. In the Standards Commission, Sven Pukat succeeds Henk Jansen as Chair, with one abstention.
Review and outlook: The European Show in Nitra was very positively received in terms of public response, even though the organisation proved challenging in some respects. The next European Show will take place from 16 to 19 November 2028 in Kielce (Poland). Preparations are currently under way in Poland to establish a Birds Section, which is subsequently due to join the EE.
Miscellaneous: The company Stengel (Germany) introduced itself as a manufacturer of ringing equipment and pledged a reliable supply for the coming year.
Cavy section meeting:
The Cavy section was represented by a small but dedicated group. Some countries took part in the meeting online.
The main topic was the breed-specific exhibition to be held in Poland in October 2026. Those in charge are hoping for a high turnout from member countries.
The new version of the breed standard will be published free of charge on the section’s website prior to the show.
An organiser is currently being sought for the seminar and the 2027 show.
The section continues to grow. Of particular delight is the admission of Bulgaria as a new member of the Cavy section, as well as the accession of the British Cavy Association, whose country can look back on a long tradition of guinea pig breeding
Pigeon section meeting:
According to the registration figures, 32 delegates from 19 nations took part in the section meeting. The agenda comprised 14 items, which were dealt with efficiently.
Looking back on the 30th EE Show in Nitra, the results for the Pigeon Section were predominantly positive. Special thanks were extended to the section’s team, led by Ing. Marian Macko.
The breed-specific European Show for Vienna and Budapest Tumblers was held with a special exemption granted by the EE. The organisers presented this event to the public in a format that was unique to date, thereby setting new standards.
The three ring manufacturers within the EE presented their companies and the new EE rings. Member nations will have the opportunity to order the EE leg rings – which will be protected from 1 January 2027 – from one of these manufacturers.
The Chair of the ESKT reported on current issues and motions raised by the member nations. In future, the ESKT will also hold online meetings.
Four breed-specific European shows have been approved for the 2026 season. Eight further approvals have been granted so far for the years 2027 to 2029. The relevant dates will be published on the EE website.
The International Judges’ Conference will take place jointly with the Poultry Section from 17 to 19 September 2026 in Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina).
The minutes of the meeting will be published in three languages on the EE website.
Rabbit section meeting:
Markus Eber, the former editorial director of the Standard Technical Commission, was elected as the new chair. The Slovak judge Miroslav Gira takes on the role of secretary. Both elections were unanimously confirmed by the section meeting.
The outgoing officeholders, Roland Olinger and Urban Hamann, were once again thanked for their many years of dedicated service. Both had to step down from their roles for health reasons. They have played a decisive role in shaping the Rabbit Section over many years.
Twenty-five people from 17 member countries attended the section meeting.
A report was given on the judges’ training course in Cluj (Romania), which was a great success with 104 participants from 19 nations. The European Show in Nitra, featuring nearly 10,000 exhibited rabbits, was also very positively received by exhibitors and visitors alike.
The next judges’ training course for the Rabbit Section will take place from 5 to 7 March 2027 in Ribnitz-Dammgarten (Germany).
In addition, a total of eight breed-specific European Shows were approved for the 2026/2027 breeding season.
Two specialist presentations on Small Vienna rabbits and various other rabbit types provided a welcome break during the meeting.
Discussions also took place with representatives of the Polish organising committee for the next European Show, as well as with the section chair. Preparations for this major event are already in full swing.
Poultry section
The Poultry Section held a very successful meeting, which lasted from the morning until late afternoon; 20 countries were represented, including Latvia, a new candidate country. As there were many new faces present, we began, as usual, with a round of introductions so that we could get to know one another. Once the usual formalities had been dealt with, the President briefed the members on the Presidium’s current business. Naturally, we also looked back on the European Show in Nitra, which was generally regarded as a success; only a few areas for improvement were identified.
Following the review, we turned our attention to the future and approved six new applications for breed-specific European shows over the next two years.
We also finalised the host countries for our next judges’ conferences:
2027 in Romania, 2028 in Denmark and 2029 in Germany. An additional training session is also planned for 2027 in Poland to prepare the local judges for the next European Show.
Animal welfare and animal health are becoming increasingly important
The Committee on Animal Welfare and Animal Health held its first standalone meeting. Around 30 participants took the opportunity to exchange expertise. The experiences from the European Show in Nitra were analysed in detail. It became clear that, whilst the event was very successful overall, there is still scoped to further strengthen the areas of animal health and animal welfare at future major events.
Conclusion
At the end of the conference, the President, Hansjörg Opala, once again thanked all the participants. He expressed particular gratitude to the interpreters, whose comprehensive simultaneous interpreting in German, English and French had greatly facilitated international dialogue.
The 2026 European Conference has thus provided important impetus for the future development of EE. The numerous resolutions and discussions demonstrate that European cooperation is thriving across all sectors and that everyone is working together towards a successful future for European small animal breeding.