Vasileios Parolas elected vice-President of the General Committee for Agricultural Cooperaton (COGECA)

Mr Vasileios Parolas, member of the Board of Directors of “Ypaithros Chora”, General Manager of the Agricultural Cooperative of Thesprotia, member of the Board of Directors of GAIA EPICHEIREIN S.A. was elected vice-President of COGECA (General Committee for Agricultural Cooperation) on December 3 following his nomination as candidate vice-President by PASEGES.

Addressing the agricultural cooperatives’ representatives from across the EU Mr. Parolas pointed out that he will support the business perspective of agricultural cooperatives and with his experience and knowledge, he will aim to contribute in the effort to draw and implement a European strategy to enhance their sustainability, competitiveness and growth.

“This can be achieved through teamwork, with collaboration between all European agricultural cooperatives, with the exchange of best practices, with the enforcement of growth strategies,” he noted.

“We must ensure that it is understood that cooperatives are above all businesses that aim to provide benefits to their members. As such, they have to pay particular attention and invest in human capital. This is especially true for Greece, where we’re facing a painful economic crisis, “he added.

The newly elected Vice-President underlined that “as everything around us is changing (markets, policies, but especially consumer needs and preferences) we ought to change too. The only stable thing in a living organization such as a cooperative is change. ”

Following his election Mr. Parolas made the following statement: “I want to thank PASEGES for proposing my candidacy, and the team of PASEGES and GAIA EPICHEIREIN S.A. in Brussels”.

COGECA currently represents the general and specific interests of some 40,000 farmers’ cooperatives employing some 660,000 people and with a global annual turnover in excess of three hundred billion euros throughout the enlarged Europe. Since its creation, COGECA has been recognized by the European Institutions as the main representative body and indeed the spokesman for the entire agricultural and fisheries cooperative sector.