Pino Calcagni, a leading figure in the Italian fresh produce industry and former president of Freshfel Europe, has been elected president of the European Commission's Fruit and Vegetables Advisory Group for the next two years.
Mr Calcagni, who was appointed at a meeting in Brussels this week, will be assisted by two vice-presidents – Giuliana Roncolini and Arturo Diez del Rio.
The Advisory Group was established in 2007 and on a regular basis brings together leading representatives of the European fresh produce sector and EC agricultural officials, facilitating improved information sharing between producers, traders and the Commission itself.
Mr Calcagni's candidature was supported by Italian import-export association Fruit Imprese, an organisation he headed up for ten years, as well as Freshfel Europe, Frucom, Copa-Cogeca and OEITFL.
Mr Calcagni is also a former president of the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council and owner-director of Naples-based Gruppo Besana, a leading supplier of dired fruit and nuts to markets worldwide.
