Highlights of the EFP General Assembly 2026 in Athens

The EFP General Assembly (GA) was held on 21 March 2026 in Athens, Greece, with 38 member societies represented, either on site or online. Delegates convened to review the past year’s achievements and set the agenda for the future. The GA warmly welcomed Panama as a new international associate member, and Bulgaria as a new associate member of the EFP.

New leadership

The EFP Executive Committee welcomed new leaders for the upcoming term:

• President: Professor Mia Rakić (Serbia/Switzerland)
• President-elect: Professor Tali Chackartchi (Israel)
• Past president: Professor Spyros Vassilopoulos (Greece)
• Elected officer: Professor Nicola West (UK)

The secretary general Professor Anton Sculean (Switzerland) and the EFP treasurer, Professor Andreas Stavropoulos (Sweden), continue in their roles until 2028. Professor Selena Toma (Belgium) was elected officer last year.

Committee chairs taking over this year

• European Workshop Committee: Professor Elena Figuero, Spain (2026-29)
• European Projects Committee: Professor Darko Bozić, Croatia (2026-29)

Both the Education Committee chair, Professor Nikolaos Donos (UK) and the Congress Committee chair Professor Phoebus Madianos (Greece) will continue in office for a second term (2026-29).

The new editor in chief of the Journal of Clinical Periodontology (2026-2032) was named: Professor Nikolaos Donos will take over from Professor Panos Papapanou.

The full list of EFP committees can be found here

EFP awards 2026

During the GA, the EFP honoured outstanding professionals for their contributions to periodontology:

• EFP International Eminence Award: Professor Purnima Kumar, US
• EFP Distinguished Scientist Award: Professor Marc Quirynen, Belgium
• EFP Distinguished Service Award: Professor Monique Danser, Netherlands

The 2026 EFP Postgraduate Awards that seek to promote research by students in EFP approved programmes, were also announced during the GA.

In the preclinical/basic research category, first prize went to a preclinical randomized control study, by Kiri N. Lang, Niklaus P. Lang, Fernando M.Muñoz Guzon, and Nikola Saulacic, from the Department of Periodontology, University of Bern, Switzerland. The second prizewent to an in vitro study by Andrea Alonso-Español, Enrique Bravo, Anna Carrillo et al., from the ETEP, Faculty of Dentistry, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.

In the clinical research category, first prize went to a multi-centre randomized controlled trial by Lena Surdiacourt, Véronique Christiaens, Thomas de Bruyckere, et al., from the Department of Periodontology and Oral Implantology, Ghent University Ghent, Belgium. The second prize goes  to a randomised clinical trial, by Rocío Bujaldón, Eduardo Montero, Juan Daniel Gamonal et al., from the Graduate Periodontology Section of the Faculty of Dentistry, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.

Looking ahead

The GA concluded with anticipation for International Perio Master Clinic 2027 (30 April to 1 May) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as well as EuroPerio12 in Munich, Germany (10-13 May 2028), and Perio Master Clinic 2029 in Athens, Greece. These events will provide more opportunities to advance periodontal science and patient care. At the end of the GA, Professor Spyros Vassilopoulos handed over the EFP presidency to Professor Mia Rakić.

EFP committees

Meet the new EFP president