On 20-21 January 2026, CO-OP4CBD partners gathered in Budapest, Hungary, for the project’s fourth annual consortium meeting. Hosted by the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture, this event provided a platform for sharing insights from each work package and discussions on the future project activities.

The meeting started with an overview of the EU’s progress in relation to UN CBD processes and its future perspectives with words from European Commission representatives Piret Noukas (European Research Executive Agency), Bastian Bertzky (DG for Research and Innovation) and Jorge Peydro-Aznar (DG for Environment). The agenda continued with the outcomes of COP16.2 and SBSTTA-27 for the implementation of the Convention, highlighted by Camille Guibal (FRB) and Pierre Spielewoy (MNHN). The first day wrapped up with insightful presentations on the progress and the future plans of each work package within the project.

On the next day, the meeting continued with discussions around the points raised by project partners as the future plans for the project were being deliberated on. These conversations were followed by parallel sessions featuring:

• a roadmap for technical briefs;
• a presentation on the training materials and the challenges around them as well as their future dissemination;
• a talk on the continuation of knowledge support;
• an interactive workshop on video recording and on-camera behaviour.

Overall, the meeting brought together the consortium of experts behind the CO-OP4CBD project for two days of crucial discussions, presentations and training sessions. These activities stand as a testament to CO-OP4CBD's enduring commitment to support cooperation and mobilise expertise in the context of the UN CBD processes.