31 May 2022
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First assembly since Covid-19 outbreak
EUROPATAT, the European Potato Trade Association, has celebrated today in Dublin (Ireland) its first physical General Assembly meeting since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Europatat’s members have elected a new Board to lead the association for the coming years. Tigran Richter (pictured) takes up the role of new President, with Domenico Citterio and Heero Gramsma as Vice-president and Treasurer respectively.
After two years of online meetings owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the European potato community gathered in Dublin (Ireland) for the World Potato Congress to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of Europatat. On Sunday, more than 90 delegates from 21 different countries participated in the reception held in the Member’s Club of the Royal Dublin Society.
Tigran Richter replaces outgoing President Mr Gilles Fontaine, who has successfully led Europatat for the past four years. Heero Gramsma has been re-elected as Treasurer for a final mandate until 2026 and Domenico Citterio (Fruitimprese) remains as Vice-President until 2024.
Europatat’s membership has also approved the association’s accounts and a new strategy for the period 2022-2025. This strategic plan, describing a new vision and mission for Europatat, as well as the key fields of action and priorities for the next three years, will serve as the guideline for the association to serve the interests of the sector in the short-to-medium term and to achieve progress in all of its major objectives.
The new President is the Director of NORIKA, a German potato breeding company present worldwide and member of the Deutscher Kartoffelhandelsverband e. V. (DKHV), the association of the German potato traders who nominated him as a candidate for the position. He has also been a member of the Advisory Committee of Europatat since 2017 and is the outgoing chairman of Europatat’s Seed Commission.
He said: “I consider the election as President of Europatat as a sign of trust and confidence of our members and a recognition of my service as Chairman of the Europatat Seed Commission. It makes me proud to be the representative of such an important and active association as Europatat. I am convinced that almost 30 years of professional experience in the international potato business is a good basis for representing the interests of all members. I will support both, the stable continuation of the successful work done in the past and the further development of our organisation to master the international challenges existing today and emerging in the future.”
The Europatat’s 2021-2022 Activity Report, which provides an overview of the Association’s work since June 2021, has also been presented to the membership at today’s meeting of the GA. A digital version of the report is now publicly available on Europatat’s website.
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