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Dear Colleagues, The past two months have once again demonstrated the breadth and momentum of our Association's work, with meaningful progress across the regulatory, scientific and sustainability fronts that define IFRA's mission. I am especially pleased to share that our flagship event is heading to India: please save the date for the IFRA Global Fragrance Summit 2027, which will take place on 23 and 24 June 2027 in Mumbai. Following the success of our 2025 gathering in Singapore, the Summit will once again convene the world's leading fragrance executives, regulatory experts, innovators and thought leaders. Under the theme 'Global scale. Local essence.', we will explore global regulatory alignment, the preservation of local traditions, ingredient defense, and sustainability and innovation - with India's rich scent heritage as the perfect backdrop. We look forward to welcoming up to 300 guests in person, alongside our global online audience. Details on the venue, program and registration will follow in the coming months, and you can register your interest now at globalfragrancesummit.com. In the US, I took part in a panel at the World Perfumery Congress 2026 in Monterrey California on 25 June. I featured on the panel From Protocol to Palette: Creativity in the Age of Compliance alongside the American Society of Perfumers and the Fragrance Creators Association - to make the case that science-based regulation and creative freedom can strengthen one another. In Europe, we welcomed a landmark milestone as a provisional interinstitutional agreement was reached on Omnibus VI, building on the European Parliament's earlier position. Together with Cosmetics Europe and partners across the cosmetics, fragrance and essential oils sector, we welcomed an outcome that delivers a more predictable, science-based framework while keeping consumer safety fully upheld - including the automatic ban on Carcinogenic, Mutagenic or Reprotoxic substances as the standard route, with exceptions only on a positive opinion from the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety. We also warmly welcomed the European Commission's roadmap to phase out animal testing in chemical safety assessments, a direction IFRA and its members have long championed through the IFRA Standards, the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM) and our engagement in the European Partnership for Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing (EPAA). Our science advanced on other fronts too. A report on endocrine disruption assessment using New Approach Methodologies, to which IFRA contributed through the EPAA Partners' Forum, was accepted for publication in the NAM Journal, and IFRA took part in the IFRA UK Sensitisers Seminar, sharing the latest insights on skin sensitization, fragrance allergy and risk assessment. On the Standards, the public consultation for the IFRA 52nd Amendment closed in June with strong stakeholder engagement, with the formal Notification expected towards the end of November 2026 - and I was delighted to see our Mexican member association, ANFPA, feature Amendment 52 prominently in Perfumería Moderna, underlining the global relevance of our work. In the Asia Pacific region, I had the pleasure of joining Dr Caroline Li, our Asia Pacific Regional Director, to meet the ASEAN Cosmetic Association in Hanoi, Vietnam, strengthening cooperation as the region grows in importance for our industry. Dr Li also reaffirmed our long-standing partnership with the China Association of Fragrance, Flavour and Cosmetic Industries (CAFFCI) in Beijing, where both organizations agreed to establish a regular dialogue, and represented IFRA in the RAIN Asia Working Group's discussions on emerging chemical regulations. Thank you, as always, for your continued commitment to IFRA and to ensuring that fragrance thrives. Warm regards,
Alexander Mohr, PhD
President, International Fragrance Association
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