At last week's meeting of AREFLH, the assembly of European fruit and vegetable-producing regions, Josep Maria Pelegrí i Aixut was elected as the new president for the coming three years.
Pelegrí is the minister of agriculture, livestock, fishing for and the environment for the region of Catalonia in Spain.
During the meeting in Nantes, he stressed the importance of fruit and vegetable production for the European agriculture industry and stated his commitment to food safety, quality and environmental care.
Pelegrí also expressed his desire that AREFLH become a crossroads of ideas and joint projects, and that it meet the regions of northern and eastern Europe to broaden its audience.
On the same occasion, Christine Avelin, a representative of the French ministry of agriculture, emphasised the need to continue lobbying in Brussels in favour of specialised production, sometimes forgotten in major negotiations.
She also reminded members of the benefits of the single payment scheme for the fruit and vegetable sector and the need for crisis management tools.
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