The Praesidium of Copa, the organisation representing European farmers, today unanimously
elected Mr Padraig Walshe as the new President for the 2009 to 2011 period. He succeeds Mr
Jean-Michel Lemétayer whose two-year mandate has come to an end.

Mr Walshe has been President of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) since 2007. From 1998 to 2002, he chaired the IFA’s National Dairy Committee. Together with his wife, he manages a family farm and mainly produces milk and beef meat.

Speaking at his election, Mr Walshe said, “I am very grateful for the confidence that is being
placed in me. The world of European agriculture is experiencing a major economic crisis. Since 2000, European agricultural revenue has fallen 12% per year. I will devote my work as the new president of Copa to ensuring that the discussions on the CAP after 2013 open up some genuine future prospects for European farmers in terms of income”.

Elected Vice-Presidents: Mr Peter Kendall NFU President (UK), Mr Jan Albert Maat LTO President (NL), Mr Giuseppe Politi CIA President (IT), Mr Lorenzo Ramos UPA President (ES), Mr Gerd Sonnleitner DBV President (DE) and Mr Jan Veleba President of the Czech Chambers of Agriculture (CZ).

A curriculum vitae of the President and each Vice-President is available on the Copa-Cogeca website:

http://www.copa-cogeca.eu/Main.aspx?page=CopaPresidency&lang=en

For further information, please contact:
Arnaud Petit
Senior Policy Advisor
Tel.: +32 2 287 27 03
arnaud.petit@copa-cogeca.eu

Simon Michel-Berger
Press Officer
Mobile: + 32 474 840 836
simon.michel-berger@copa-cogeca.eu