ACTIVITY REPORT 2017-2018 This Activity Report provides an overview of Europatat’s work since the previous Europatat AGM in 2017, which took place on 15 June 2017 in Antwerp, Belgium. This work will not have been possible without the leadership of the Europatat Board, and the active support of all associations and company members throughout the year. 2 1 THE ASSOCIATION President’s Foreword 4 About Europatat 5 Mission 5 Structure 7 Membership and benefits 8 2 KEY FIELDS OF ACTION Interest representation 10 Agriculture 12 Promotion 15 Plant Safety 19 Food Safety 21 Trade 22 Sustainability 26 Public Affairs and Networking 30 Information and communication 34 3 RUCIP 36 4 POTATO SECTOR DATA 38 PRESIDENT’S FOREWORD This Activity Report is released on the occasion of the 2018 Annual General Assembly of Europatat (3 May 2018, Brussels). This year marks the 70th Annual General Assembly of the association and the start of a new decade which will come no doubt with its own set of challenges and opportunities for the potato family. In the past few years, together with the other Board members, the Advisory Committee and the support of all members, we have strived to strengthen further the association, its outreach and influence in the European arena, so that the interests of the potato trade remain at the centre of all relevant technical and policy dossiers. The ultimate aim has been to provide the best service to all our valued members. Europatat does not work in isolation and strives to highlight the positive role that trade plays in the full supply chain. Through the years, Europatat has built an important network of institutional contacts and stakeholders which is becoming more solid and active, given the general benefits of finding synergies with like-minded partners. At the same time, the active participation of Europatat members, both national federations and private companies, which can provide technical expertise and relevant information for the work of the secretariat will be further promoted. Now, as my term as president comes to an end, I want to thank Europatat, and by extension, the potato community, for allowing me to guide you over the past several years. I would also like to thank the Europatat staff for their hard work and continued efforts to expand their knowledge and capabilities, and my fellow Board members for their time, and their continuous support. As we look forward to the next year of operation (2018/2019), I eagerly await the confirmation by the membership and implementation of the new Strategic Plan 2018-2020 that will take us beyond 2018. I would also like to encourage all members to continue to stay involved in the work of the association, so that all activities are implemented successfully for the benefit of the sector. Jos Muyshondt President of Europatat 4 THE ASSOCIATION ABOUT Europatat, the European Potato Trade Association, is an international non-profit association according to Belgian law that gathers national associations and companies involved in the trade of seed pota- toes and ware potatoes from all over Europe. Initially set up in 1952 by national associations to protect the interests of the wholesale potato mer- chants, since 2010 its membership is also open to individual companies active in the trade of seed, MISSION ware and early potatoes within Europe and beyond. Europatat is a member-driven association, undertaking multiple representation and coordination of tasks for the overall benefit of the potato trade. The association is located in Brussels and in its day-to-day work the association keeps regular contact with the services of the European Commission as well as the European Parliament. Besides this, Europatat has received since its establishment the encouragement and support of various official organisations such as the UN-ECE, the FAO or the OECD. To collaborate on horizontal matters, Europatat works in close collaboration with other agri- produce trade associations During 2017/2018 Europatat has been working with the Board, Advisory Committee and members at large to develop a new strategy for the association for the period 2018-2020. This will be presented to all members for approval during the Assembly General Meeting of 3 May 2018. Europatat’s objectives are: • to improve the commercial and international activities of the potato trade; • to protect the professional interests and the commercial function on a European and International level; • to represent the profession in and at all official and international organisations. 5 Say potato, say STRUCTURE Europatat is structured around a General Assembly, a Board and six commissions. This or- ganisation enables, in spite of occasional conflicting opinions and interests, to define with an open mind a common policy defending the profession. Board members are elected for a mandate period of four years, with some adjustments and transitional periods. The current Board took function on the occasion of the General Assembly on 1 June 2016 in Brussels, Belgium Jos Muyshondt Domenico Citterio Gilles Fontaine President Vice-President Treasurer Tigran Richter José Pelaez Francisco Moya Chairman Seed Potato Chairman Early Potato Chairman Ware Potato Commission Commission Commission Peter Van Steenkiste Thomas Herkenrath Jan van Hoogen Chairman Packers Commission Chairman RUCIP Commission Chairman Technical and Regulatory Issues Commission The Secretariat: the daily work of Europatat is con- ducted by Raquel Izquierdo de Santiago, Secretary General, and Berta Redondo, Communication and Policy Advisor. The secretariat is based in Brussels. 7 MEMBERSHIP & BENEFITS Europatat presently incorporates the national associations of the biggest potato trade partners in the EU as well as individual companies active in the potato trade. The associa- tion counts 18 national associations, 29 companies and 1 associated member among its members. At present 19 countries are represented within Europatat, the complete list of members is to be found at the end of this report. The membership of Europatat is balanced between its various membership categories and members’ focus. This guarantees a good balance of interest and a wide diversity of expertise available to the association. In the future, Europatat seeks to reinforce even further its cooperation with companies and associations based in other European countries in order to better reflect the reality of the potato trade in the EU. 8 18 National Associations 29 Private Companies 1 Associated Member Besides granting to the association the strengths of their support and their profes- sional input, members of Europatat benefit from a wide range of services and ad- vantages enabling them to get a grip on the many challenges the potato sector faces today: trade barriers, increasing concerns over food safety and environment, quality, etc. Among these services or advantages are: • Having the ability to influence the European decision-making process and strength- en the position of the potato trade sector on the international trade scene; • Having the ability to exchange views and develop common positions with col- leagues engaged in similar activities; • Enjoying the networking opportunities offered by an association with an interna- tional dimension; • A regular Newsletter including the latest information on crucial developments in the potato trade and on European legislation affecting the potato supply chain; • Services of a multilingual Brussels-based Secretariat for fast answers to key ques- tions relating to the potato sector. Not yet a member of Europatat? Please contact us at [email protected] Europatat’s resources are exclusively resulting from membership fees. A strong organisation can only be built by gaining the support of all the stakeholders in the potato trade. Europatat thanks its members for their support! 9 KEY FIELDS OF ACTION: Interest representation Agricultural Policy Potatoes are an important component of the agricul- ture sector for the different goals of the European Commission in regard to jobs and growth, sustaina- bility and health. Europatat is playing an active role at the EU agricultural discussions in order to assure the best position of the potato traders regarding dossi- ers as the CAP Reform, the Organic regulation or the Unfair Trading Practices initiatives. Promotion, consumption and marketing The science-based knowledge that potatoes should be part of a healthy and balanced diet needs to be sup- ported, as potatoes can play an important role by offering not only many health and nutritional benefits to the diet compared to other carbohydrates, but also versatility, convenience, taste and, not less importantly, a sustainable choice for consumers. Plant Safety European plant health policy is one of the major policy dossiers for Europatat. The association is sup- porting the free trade of seed and ware potatoes with respect of the plant health legislation, which intends to prevent or eradicate the presence of a number of harmful organisms such as Ralstonia, Clavibacter, Synchitrium, Globodera, Colorado beetle and others. 10 Food Safety Food safety remains highly on the agenda of Europatat. The policy of the European Commission and the member states to reduce the usage of pesticides where possible is taken serious by the potato sector. The central goal of the European Commission’s Food Safety policy is to ensure a high level of protection of human health regarding the food industry. The Commission’s guiding principle - pri- marily set out in its White Paper on Food Safety