Europatat Congress 2010

During the Europatat congress in Edinburgh the new Europatat has been launched. New statutes, a new board, thematic commissions and a new secretariat aim to make the European potato trade better heard in Brussels.

The Europatat congress was also addressed by Richard Lochhead MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment.

During the board meeting the new internal rules have been approved. During the commission meetings (seed potatoes / early & ware potatoes) a number of issues have been treated. and the general assembly approved the new statutes (international non profit association according to Belgian law) and internal rules and a new board, composed out of K. van Arendonk (president), T. Herckenrath (vice-President) and D. Binst (treasurer) has been elected.

During the gala dinner the leaving secretary general (for 15 years) Romain Cools was said goodbye.
The well attended workshop focused on the well known integrated British supply chain and discussed the question on free or regulated trade of seed and ware potatoes in Europe.

As in previous editions, the Association of the Producers and Exporters of the Andalusian Early Potato has collaborated as sponsor of Europatat Congress 10.

The next Europatat general assembly will be held in Italy the last weekend of May in 2011.

Europatat workshop : ‘Potatoes without frontiers’
The GB Integrated Supply Chain Past, Present and into the Future

Professor Ian Crute – Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Chief Scientist

David Walker OBE – Chairman Fresh Potato Suppliers Association

Archie Gibson – Executive Director Agrico UK Ltd

The European Potato trade ‘Freemarket or Protectionism’

Romain Cools – Secretary general of Europatat

Yaniy Yablonka – Yapro (Israeli Potato and Vegetable Export Company)

Jim McLaren – President of Scottish National Farmers Union

Thanks to www.europatat.eu