ELA Autumn-Winter Newsletter 2026

A word from the President

ELA is the European “home” of its national member associations, a place for participation and exchange. Nevertheless, I have always believed that those who pro-tempore lead the organization should find the time to visit the premises of the national members, engaging with them on key priority topics. For this reason, my visits have continued, accompanied by the Secretary General, to Greece (PETAK), Germany (VFA), and Italy (ASSOASCENSORI).

Nuremberg, following Istanbul (ASANSOR) and London (LIFTEX), has, for the first time in its history, hosted the prestigious trade fair known as INTERLIFT. As always, ELA was present with its own stand for the entire duration of the event. It was an opportunity to welcome our members, visit their stands, and promote the most significant initiatives developed by the Association. This year, our contribution to the VFA-Forum was dedicated to the launch — together with EFESME — of the European Safety Day, to be celebrated annually starting on 28 April 2026. However, INTERLIFT is also a venue that brings together international stakeholders from our sector, alongside the European members we represent. For this reason, a meeting was held during the event with our partners from the World Elevator & Escalator Federation (WEEF).

Of particular significance was the preparatory work carried out with our Chinese colleagues from the China Elevator Association (CEA). This work aimed at defining the agenda for ELA’s mission to Langfang, which took place in the first week of November 2025.

Obviously, over these past months, we have also paid close attention to ELA’s “internal organization”. For the first time, I convened a meeting between the members of the Board and all the Chairs and Convenors of the technical committees. This meeting, which originates from the heart of the organization and will now become a regular fixture (every two years), is one from which I expect valuable input and proposals — which I will report to you in the next newsletter.

New ELA Committees & WG members

  • Paula Casares (EEA), new chair of the Energy & Environment Committe
  • Daniel Bisang (EEA), new member of the Codes & Standards Committee
  • Alper Caliskan (EEA), new member of the ESMO Working Group
  • Claude Diot (EEA), transferring from the Digitalization & Cybersecurity Committee to the Data WG
  • Oliver Folini (EEA), new member of the Digitalization & Cybersecurity Committee
  • Jaana Hänninen (SUHY), new member of the Energy & Environment Committee
  • Philippe Henneau (EEA), new member of the Data WG
  • Robert Hild (VDMA), new member of the Legal Committee
  • Mika Katara (EEA), new member of the Digitalization & Cybersecurity Committee
  • Sven Kopp (EEA), new member of the Statistical Committee
  • Sophie Maublanc (EEA), new member of the Budget Committee
  • Wolfgang Meier (VDMA), new member of the Codes & Standards Committee
  • Michael Puttrus (VFA-Interlift), new member of the Data WG
  • Georg Schattney (VDMA), new member of the Energy & Environment Committee
  • Moritz Villinger (EEA), new member of the Digitalization & Cybersecurity Committee

The full composition of the Committees and Working Groups can be found on the website

ELA General Assembly

On Wednesday, 27 May 2026, the ELA General Assembly will take place in Rotterdam (NL), followed by the annual conference dedicated to the topic of Artificial Intelligence. We warmly welcome all members to join us at the Hilton Double Tree Hotel to celebrate, together, the most significant institutional events of our Association.

ELA & EFESME celebrate the first EUROPEAN ELEVATOR SAFETY DAY

On 28 April 2026, the ELA headquarter in Brussels will host the European Elevator Safety Day, organized for the first time this year together with our friends at EFESME. Supported by the European Commission and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), the event will be open to all ELA members and is expected to evolve into a global initiative starting next year.

High-Level Forum On European Standardization – HLF

On 19 March, in the presence of the President and Secretary General of ELA, the fourth meeting of the Forum dedicated to European standardization took place under the auspices of the European Commission. The meeting reviewed key achievements and lessons learned, and validated the strategic priorities and workplan for the 2026–2028 period. It has been focused on the revision of the Standardization Regulation that the Commission will propose as part of the European Product Act in the third quarter of 2026.

ELA Hot topic not to be missed:

INTRODUCTION OF (EN) ISO 8100-1/2:2026

We are pleased to annouce the publication of the document “INTRODUCTION OF (EN) ISO 8100-1/2:2026 Main differences in comparison with EN 81-20/50:2020 (Overview of key updates, structural changes and technical clarifications)“.

Documents are publicly available in the Resources section of the ELA website : https://www.ela-aisbl.eu/library/ (also accessible via the EEA website).

This document was produced by the European Elevator Association (EEA) jointly with the European Lift Association (ELA) and has also been published via a Communication Hot Topic for the ELA members.

The ELA Modernization toolbox

ELA has launched a new Modernization Toolbox to support members in navigating the growing need to upgrade Europe’s ageing lift stock. With over half of the 7 million lifts in operation now more than 25 years old, modernization has become essential for improving safety, accessibility, energy efficiency, and overall performance.

The Toolbox brings together statistical insights, surveys, white papers, and practical guidance to help stakeholders understand today’s challenges, communicate the value of modernization, and plan effective interventions.   

Explore the full article to discover what’s inside the Toolbox and how it can help you drive modernization forward. ELA Modernization Toolbox • ELA

WELCOME, KATE!

We are pleased to inform you that we have a new colleague, Kate Kankindi, who has joined the ELA & EEA Team as administrative assistant and important support for the activities of the Committees and WGs. 

Kate is Belgian and lives in Brussels. She speaks fluent French and English with good knowledge of Spanish. She is reachable (kate.kankindi@ela-aisbl.org) on full-time basis from Monday to Friday between 9.00 and 17.00.

Let’s welcome Kate and wish her all the best!

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