EUCOFEL ACTS AS AN INTERMEDIARY BETWEEN PRODUCERS AND COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS.

The Assembly of the European Fruit and Vegetable Trade Association, EUCOFEL, approved last week, the constitution of the tomato and garlic working groups.

In addition, elected the new positions and agreed on the roadmap for 2014, focused mainly on strengthening the presence of European fruit and vegetable export producers before the community institutions.

The functions of these working groups will be, given the sensitivity of these products, raise the main issues that concern export producers of these vegetables.

The presidency of the EUCOFEL tomato working group falls to José Hernández Navarro, president of the FEPEX Tomato Committee and the president of the garlic group will be Antonio Escudero, president of the National Association of Garlic Producers and Marketers, ANPCA.

The Assembly also elected Antonio Muñoz Armero as vice presidents, president of the Citrus Management Committee in Spain and Laurent Bergé, president of the Association of Tomato and Cucumber Producer Organizations of France.

The election has followed the line set in the first EUCOFEL Assembly, after its refoundation last September, in which it was agreed that the association's elective positions be occupied by main actors in production and commerce.

In this way, the establishment of direct links between production/marketing and institutional entities is guaranteed., and let it be known, through those directly involved, the reality and problems of the sector.

Finally, The Assembly agreed on a roadmap to 2014, focused mainly on strengthening the presence of European fruit and vegetable export producers before the community institutions, considering it a sector that is not sufficiently represented. Despite being strategic for community agriculture, for their contribution in terms of employment, export and for its contribution to the maintenance of a healthy diet, The sum of these factors is not properly taken into account..