ENA

President's Speech

Henk Raaijmakers
President
Two sides of a coin.
After experiencing a period of higher prices and excellent sales in the plant sector over the past few years, we have returned to a market where supply outstrips demand. Therefore, prices for most items are under pressure. Energy, raw materials, fertiliser, and personnel costs have significantly increased. The availability of skilled workers is a growing problem, so I am delighted that ENA is working on an Erasmus+ project aimed at training young people in our profession.
EU legislation also has two sides of a coin. On the one hand, the Nature Restoration Law encourages cities to become greener. On the other hand, it imposes strict limitations on chemical crop protection products, fertilisers, water, and land use. ENA is dedicated to lobbying for the continued availability of necessary resources. Our “Green Cities for Europe” campaign has been a success over the past six years. The Green Cities Award has been a particularly valuable event. On the other hand, the campaign involves a lot of work and bureaucracy to comply with all the rules for the subsidy. I sincerely appreciate the hard work done by the managers of 13 countries and the ENA team, who have dedicated their time and effort to make this campaign a reality. We have taken significant steps towards strengthening knowledge exchange, supporting lobbying efforts in plant health, availability of crop protection products, import and export, and other related matters. Among the noteworthy achievements are our partnership in research to control Xylella, initiating a youth program, updating internal regulations, and the Green Cities for Europe project. This will be my last contribution to the ANVE yearbook, as my ENA president term ends in June 2024. I proudly pass the baton to Tim van Hulle, the current Vice-President and candidate for President. I am honoured to offer you my warmest greetings, profound gratitude, and sincere pride in serving you. Best wishes for ANVE’s success.