On 11th and 12th September 2026, COTEC General Assembly Representatives and observers from across Europe gathered in Bucharest, Romania, for two important days of exchange, reflection and decision-making: the annual COTEC Governance Day and the 14th COTEC General Assembly.
COTEC Governance Day
Governance Day on 11th September started with an introduction for new General Assembly Representatives, followed by a welcome from COTEC President Anu Söderström and an update from the Executive Committee.
An external risk analysis carried out by Mrs Dominique Danau of SAGO Research provided an important starting point for further discussion about COTEC’s governance and the division of responsibilities within the organisation. Representatives and observers also discussed and agreed the Action Plan for 2027. Four key themes will guide the work ahead: political collaboration, evidence-based practice, strengthening the voice of practising occupational therapists, and building a sustainable organisation.
Another important topic was the European classification of occupations. Occupational therapy does not yet have its own ISCO/ESCO classification code in all relevant systems. The next opportunity to influence this is expected around 2028. A clear classification is important because these codes are used for labour market data, comparisons between countries and European policy development.
The host National Association itself, APTOR, offered an interesting example of how differently Occupational Therapy has developed across Europe. Romania only joined COTEC in 2020, and Occupational Therapy does not yet have the same position as an independently recognised profession as it does in many other European countries.
The programme also included updates from the Electoral Committee, OT-Europe and WFOT, and concluded with the sharing of national news. A special moment was the celebration of COTEC’s 40th anniversary.
The 14th COTEC General Assembly
The following day, 12th September, the 14th COTEC General Assembly took place. Thirty-one Member Associations were eligible to vote, and the meeting included elections for positions within the Executive Committee.
COTEC said farewell to Lisa Wetzlmair-Kephart, Ann-Marie Morrissey and Anneliis Aavik, thanking them for their time, expertise and commitment to the organisation.
At the same time, Rachele Simeone was elected as the new Vice-President Finance and Sara Corella-Pérez as the new Vice-President Administration. Following the elections, the position of General Member remained vacant. This is also a reminder that COTEC continues to need Occupational Therapists who are willing to take on governance responsibilities at European level.
Together, Governance Day and the General Assembly showed once again the value of bringing representatives and observers together: to share experiences, make decisions, strengthen cooperation and build a stronger voice for Occupational Therapy across Europe.
A sincere thank you goes to the Romanian Association for the warm welcome in Bucharest and to everyone who contributed to two productive and inspiring days.
The 15th COTEC General Assembly will take place in Reykjavik, Iceland, in September 2027. Exact dates will be announced soon.
