We are pleased to announce that the FOHNEU Spring Board Meeting 2026 took place in Milan, Italy, on 6–7 May 2026.  This meeting was hosted by our new member, the Italian Association of Occupational Health Nursing (AIOHN). We were delighted to welcome Victoria Ferrua, President of AIOHN, and her team as our hosts for this important event.

This marked only the third FOHNEU Board Meeting ever held in Italy — following Novara in 1995 and Rome in 2022 — and fittingly took place in the city long recognised as the historic birthplace of ICOH and the Clinica del Lavoro.

A New Voice from the United Kingdom
The Board was pleased to welcome a new observer organisation: following the 8th FOHNEU Congress, the Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM) from the United Kingdom expressed its wish to join FOHNEU as an observer. Professor Anne Harriss, SOM Past President, attended the meeting and was warmly received by the Board, with discussions already underway on future collaboration in publications and European advocacy for occupational health nursing.

Secretary Election
A Secretary election was held during the meeting. The Board expressed its deep and sincere gratitude to outgoing Secretary Trijntje van Zuilen (The Netherlands). Nadine Rauch (France) was formally elected as FOHNEU's new Secretary.

 Honouring Dr. Julie Staun OBE
One of the most memorable moments of the meeting was the presentation of the FOHNEU Honorary Membership to Dr. Julie Staun OBE, PhD, RN, CRNA, OHN (Denmark). The recognition, originally agreed at an earlier meeting in Istanbul, had been intended for presentation at the 8th FOHNEU Congress in Cork, but illness had prevented Dr. Staun from attending. The Board was therefore especially pleased to make the presentation in person in Milan, honouring her long-term and exceptional contribution to the development of the Federation. President Hirdi reflected that Dr. Staun has always championed FOHNEU as a family, leading with warmth, high standards, and genuine care for its members.

The first day also featured a comprehensive presentation by Dr. Julie Staun on the history and development of occupational health, tracing the profession's key milestones and its regulatory foundations across Europe — a presentation that resonated strongly with the setting in Milan.

 EU-OSHA Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2026–2028
FOHNEU confirmed its continued role as an Official Campaign Partner of the EU-OSHA Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2026–2028, “Together for Mental Health at Work.” The Board underlined the vital role occupational health nurses play as front-line professionals in identifying early signs of work-related stress, fatigue, anxiety, and burnout, and encouraged National Representatives to promote the campaign through their own associations.