PRESS RELEASE: Groupe de Bruges organisational changes - New Board members elected

March 24 2015

During last week´s members meeting in Rome, Arie van den Brand and Franco Sotte have stepped down as a president and vice-president of the Groupe de Bruges. John Brennan (Ireland) and Anna Augustyn (Poland) were elected as new Board members.

The present members expressed their thanks to both Arie van Den Brand, who took on the presidency at the Groupe de Bruges for 11 years, and Franco Sotte, who was vice-president for 11 years also. They will both continue in their involvement as honorary president and vice-president.

Arie van den Brand, former Groupe de Bruges’ President said: “This last meeting in Rome was very special to me. Stepping down after 11 years of being the president of the Groupe de Bruges was an emotional event. I learned so much during my time in this beautiful independent European think tank. Thank you all! I was also glad to be present at the closing event of ‘Can EU CAP it?’ Project. I especially appreciated the strong plea from Gerda Verburg, former minister of Agriculture in the Netherlands and a current chairperson of the Committee of World Food Security (CSF), that: “Food and agricultural policies need a new narrative as a first step for a paradigm shift towards sustainable and secure food production”. This brings enough work for the Groupe de Bruges for the next 20 years!”

The new president and vice-president will be elected at the next Board Meeting that will take place in April 2015.

Ends

Contact

For more information, please contact Mr Bart Soldaat, E soldaat.bart@gmail.com or at T +316 2129 2979.