Activities

Functioning of Europatat

Regular meetings of the steering committee and board to exchange the view on trade issues for seed and consumption potatoes.

Organisation of a yearly congress in one of the member states of Europatat (based upon a rotation system) with meetings of the different commissions and working groups, the general assembly and a workshop which is open to the other links of the potato chain.

Europatat contains a number of commissions, related to specific issues of the potato trade:

  • seed potatoes commission
  • early potatoes commission
  • ware potatoes commission
  • RUCIP commission

Europatat tries to tackle specific items with ad hoc working groups such as:

  • specific bilateral trade relations
  • plant health items
  • …

European policy

As the large majority of the Europatat members operate in EU member states, and taking in consideration the effect of European legislation on the activities of the seed and ware potato trade, Europatat is involved in a number of dossiers which are treated on the level of the European Commission and the European Parliament.

Plant health policy

As a result from the directive 2000/29, the European plant health policy is one of the major issues for Europatat. Europatat is supporting the free trade of seed and ware potatoes with respect of the plant health legislation, which intents to prevent or eradicate the presence of a number of harmful organisms such as ralstonia, clavibacter, synchitrium, globodera, Colorado beetle and others.

As a result of this legislation imports from third countries is limited to a number of countries:

  • seed potatoes: Switzerland and some provinces from Canada (limited to a number of ports in Italy, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Malta and Portugal)
  • ware potatoes: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Switzerland, Tunisia and Turkey. (Temporary derogations can be given for other countries)

Export of seed and ware potatoes are actually subject of bilateral agreements between the individual EU member states and third countries.

Europatat stresses the importance of the correct application of the EU plant health legislation in all member states and supports the control activities of the Food and Veterinary Office of the European Commission.

Market regime for potatoes

The potato market is one of the few markets for agricultural products which is not covered in the European Union by a market scheme. As a result of this each member state is free to install its own scheme for potatoes, including quality standards, as long as they do not disturb free trade in the EU and no illegal subsidy schemes on member state level are installed.

Europatat has always opposed the enforcement of a European quality standard for early and ware potatoes, as the potato production (related to varieties and growing conditions) and the markets (presentation, packaging, …) are largely differentiated in all EU member states and as the retail sector is defining different quality classes according to the wishes of the consumers.
On the other hand Europatat supports the UNECE quality standards for early and ware potatoes as a guideline for minimal standards for early and ware potatoes.

The fruit and vegetable scheme reform in 2007 did not affect the potato sector directly, although it resulted in the eligibility of potatoes in the single payment scheme in all EU member states as from 2011. Also national aid schemes for the potato sector which are not approved by the EU will no longer be allowed from that year onwards.

Promotion

Europatat has played an important role in opening the European promotion budget for agricultural products also to the potato sector (Council Regulation (EC) No 3/2008 of 17 December 2007).

This evolution allows national or multinational generic promotion campaigns in and outside the EU to increase the consumption of potatoes to be supported by the European Commission.
Potatoes are also eligible for protection of quality and origin related properties such as PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) covers the term used to describe foodstuffs which are produced, processed and prepared in a given geographical area using recognised know-how or PGI (Protected Geographical Indication), the geographical link must occur in at least one of the stages of production, processing or preparation. Furthermore, the product can benefit from a good reputation.

Trade issues

Europe is an importer exporter of seed and consumption potatoes to third countries. Access to these markets is of the highest importance. As long as a global trade agreement by WTO is not achieved, bilateral trade relations between the EU and certain regions or third countries are of high importance.

Via CELCAA Europatat tries to follow up these negotiations, in particular concerning important markets as the Middle East or North Africa.

In some cases Europatat approaches certain third countries on individual basis.
Also the custom tariffs have an important influence on trade currents. The revision of the customs codes and the trade facilitation are important issues and handled via CELCAA.

Plant protection products

Growing and storing potatoes is also influenced by the fight against diseases and pests. The policy of the European Commission and the member states to reduce the usage of pesticides where possible is taken serious by the potato sector.

Food safety schemes including good agricultural and/or hygienic practises, traceability from the field to the fork, sampling schemes etc. have been installed on national or company level.
Nevertheless the availability of pesticides to grow and store potatoes is of the highest importance to present a quality product to the consumer and to assure the trade position of the European potato sector. Europatat asks the European Commission and Parliament to take this element in consideration in their revision of the existing Council Directive 91/414/EEC concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market.

Research & development

Europatat tries to takes its responsibility on items/discussions which are related to trade issues or health items. In collaboration with selected scientific institutions and thanks to the support of the sponsors, Europatat has ordered studies such as:

  • Potatoes compared to other carbohydrate sources like rice and pasta
  • The nutritional properties of starch in potato products: impact on glycaemia and satiety.

RUCIP

Europatat has been the founder of RUCIP, the rules and usages for inter European potato trade, of which the first version has been created in 1956. This was the start of encoding the usages in the potato trade in a simple and efficient procedure for expertise and arbitration.

Since then, RUCIP has several times been modified (in 1972, 1986, 1993, 2000 en 2006), which resulted in a RUCIP which has been adapted to the demands of the trade and the technical evolution within the potato sector. The current version has become into force on 1 March 2006, which includes that all disputes concerning contracts made up after this date and referring to RUCIP will be treated according to this version.

The redaction of RUCIP and the approval of the lists of arbitrators and experts are in the hands of the European RUCIP committee with its seat in Paris. This is composed out of Europatat, EPPA (European potato processors’ association) and Intercoop (European agricultural cooperative structures).

CELCAA

Europatat is a member of CELCAA, the European Liaison Committee for the agro food trade. This organisation is the recognised voice of the agro food trade on the different European levels and helps Europatat to get access to the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Codex commission, EFSA and other bodies.