European Crop Care Association (ECCA) Elects Mónica Teixeira as New President
The board of the European Crop Care Association (ECCA), the Pan-European voice of the post-patent plant protection industry, has appointed Mónica Teixeira as the President of ECCA. Mónica succeeds Pankaj Patil, who will now serve as ECCA’s first Vice-President, a newly created role aimed at further strengthening the association’s leadership and advocacy efforts.
Mónica Teixeira, who has been a member of the ECCA Board since 2019, brings a wealth of experience in the post-patent plant protection industry. She currently serves as Product Safety, Regulatory, and R&D Director at ASCENZA in Portugal, where she has been a key leader since joining in 2017.
Prior to this, Mónica spent seven years at the Portuguese Ministry of Agriculture in the Plant Protection Directorate and spent 18 years as Regulatory Affairs and Stewardship Manager at Syngenta. An Agronomic Engineer from the University of Lisbon, Mónica has focused her career on plant protection, with a particular emphasis on regulatory affairs and stewardship.
“I am truly honored to take on the presidency of ECCA at such a crucial time for our industry. The European Union is placing significant focus on competitiveness and regulatory simplification while maintaining strong climate objectives, and ECCA and its members are eager to play an active role in shaping this evolving framework," said Ms. Teixeira. "We will continue advocating for competitive sustainability to ensure that the post-patent plant protection industry’s untapped potential in boosting the competitiveness of European agriculture can finally be unlocked.”
Under Mónica’s leadership, ECCA will continue to support its members in navigating the changing and complex regulatory landscape and accentuating the role of post-patent plant protection products (PPPs) in solving the challenges faced today by European policymakers, member states and farmers. This includes strengthening the EU’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy, as well as guiding farmers through the green transition.
As of 1st March 2025, the Board of Directors ECCA consist of the following members:
Mónica Teixeira, President of the Board and ECCA | Regulatory, Product Safety and R&D Director, ASCENZA.
Pankaj Patil, Vice-President of the Board and ECCA | Head of Europe, Indofil Industries Netherlands
Giacomo Ravetta, Treasurer and Member of the Board and ECCA | Regulatory Affairs Director, Finchimica
Jean-François Henry, Board Member | Head of Registrations & Regulatory Affairs, Globachem NV
Steve Kozlen, Board Member | Senior Regulatory Advisor, Galenika Fitofarmacija
About ECCA
Established in 1993, the European Crop Care Association (ECCA) is the leading advocate for the European post-patent plant protection industry. Primarily comprised of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), ECCA safeguards the interests of the independent European post-patent crop protection sector, actively involved in the development, manufacturing, and marketing of active substances and formulations. ECCA actively engages in consultations on new legislation, guidelines, and policies across Europe, liaising with key stakeholders, governments, and authorities. ECCA is a founding member of AgroCare, the global association for the post patent agrochemical industry. For more details, visit ECCA's website: https://www.ecca-org.eu/