Brussels, 10/01/2000 (Agence Europe) - At the intitiative of Paul Lammers, Chairman of the Netherlands Cocoa Association (NCV), a European cocoa association will soon be created in Brussels in order to defend the interests of the European chocolate industry in the face of European and international legislation and in the face of the cocoa producing countries and other associations or international organisations which defend the interests of this trade. The association, called the European Cocoa Association (ECA), will be officially launched during the first quarter of 2000. In the meantime, a provisional secretariat, set up in Brussels, will allow it to be operational from mid January on. Keeping up preferential and close relations with the cocoa producing countries will be one of the main objectives of the ECA that will bring together chocolate pressers, as well as cocoa traders and logistics companies.
"The ECA is the result of the ongoing globalisation of the cocoa business, as well as the increasing pressure of the European Single Market. (…) We consider that the old national structures are no longer adequate and cannot fulfil the objectives we have set for ourselves", said Mr Lammers in a press release. He will be chairman of the association.