The praesidium of Copa, the organisation representing European farmers, today unanimously elected Padraig Walshe as its new president for the period 2009-2011. He succeeds Jean-Michel Lemétayer, whose two-year mandate has come to an end.
Commenting on his election, Mr Walshe, who has been president of the Irish Farmers’ Association since 2007, said he was very grateful for the confidence being placed in him.
'The world of European agriculture is experiencing a major economic crisis,' he said. 'Since
2000, European agricultural revenue has fallen 12 per cent per year. I will devote my work as the new president of Copa to ensuring that the discussions on the CAP after 2013 open up some genuine future prospects for European farmers in terms of income.'
Also elected as vice-presidents of Copa were: Peter Kendall, NFU president (UK); Jan Albert Maat, LTO president (Netherlands); Giuseppe Politi, CIA president (Italy); Lorenzo Ramos, UPA president (Spain); Gerd Sonnleitner, DBV president (Germany); and Jan Veleba, president of the Czech Chambers of Agriculture.
A curriculum vitae of the new president and each of the elected vice-presidents is available on the Copa-Cogeca website.
