Brussels, 06/11/2009 (Agence Europe) - In Slovenia on Friday 6 November, COGECA (General Committee for Agricultural Cooperation in the European Union) met representatives of cooperative organisations and the Ministries of Agriculture from the applicant countries (Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania) to debate the implications of accession for the agricultural sector for these countries when they join the EU. The workshop was organised with the support of DG Enlargement of the European Commission.
Participants exchanged views on various aspects of EU policies, particularly the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and its future developments. Special emphasis was put on the economic organisation of farmers, such as cooperatives, in order to strengthen their market positioning. In this respect, existing tools such as producer groups were analysed and discussed in detail. According to a press release, Copa (Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations)-Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen said “Cogeca has a long tradition of being in the forefront of collaborating with farmer and agri-cooperative organisations across Europe, and assisting them in preparing the ground for their integration into the family of the European Union”. (L.C./transl.rt)