The 11th general meeting of the AREFLH (Assembly of the European Regions Producing Fruit, Vegetables and Plants) took place in Marseille, France, on 4 February.
Fabrice Verdier, current vice-president for the regional council of Languedoc Roussillon, was elected president for the next three years.
In his speech, Mr Verdier highlighted the importance, for the European and French fruit and vegetables sector, of the political and budget decisions that will make up the 2013-2020 common agricultural policy.
Luciano Trentini, director of the Servizi Ortofruticolo in Ferrara, in the Emilia Romagna region in Italy, was reelected vice-president and president for the producers college.
Paolo Bruni, president of the COGECA (European Organisation of Cooperatives), stressed the importance of creating crisis management systems that are more efficient and operational, as well as the need to demand the respect of other countries for the qualitative, social and environmental regulations negociated by the EU.
