Peter Ton elected president of Europatat

June 11, 2026

The annual congress brought together around 90 members and representatives from across the European potato sector. During the General Assembly, members elected a new Board for the 2026–2030 mandate. Following the allocation of responsibilities within the Board, Peter Ton, Chief Operating Officer of Royal HZPC Group and representative of the Dutch potato trade association NAO, was chosen to lead Europatat for the next four years. Vlastimil Rasocha (Medipo Agro/CBS, Czechia) will continue as Vice-President, while Francisco Moya (Vitalis Group/Fedepom, France) remains Treasurer.

Actively involved

Ton is a familiar face within the European potato industry and has been actively involved in Europatat’s work for several years. Since 2022, he has served on the Advisory Committee and most recently chaired Europatat’s Seed Commission. According to Europatat his appointment reflects both his long-standing commitment to the sector and the confidence placed in him by the association’s members. “Being active in the potato sector all my professional life, I consider the member’s vote for me as Board member and their support to become President of Europatat as a sign of trust and confidence. Trust that their concerns and interests are in good hands, confident of being able to consider all voices and opinions. It is my ambition to build further on Europatat’s position being the ambassador of our industry, as well as the platform for all European organisations representing (part) of the potato value-chain. I thank all members for their trust and promise to represent them with dedication and pride. Looking forward to working with our fantastic team in Brussels!”, Ton emphasise.

Strategy

The General Assembly also approved Europatat’s annual accounts and reviewed progress on the organisation’s 2025–2028 strategy. While trade, plant health, food safety and RUCIP remain central priorities, the association is increasingly focusing on broader issues affecting the potato value chain. These include sustainability reporting and measurement, water management, nutrition, the promotion of potato consumption and support for potato-related research. The discussions reflected the growing complexity of the regulatory and market environment in which the European potato sector operates. Europatat continues to position itself as the voice of the European potato trade and a platform connecting the various actors throughout the potato value chain. During the meeting, members were also presented with Europatat’s 2025–2026 Activity Report, outlining the association’s activities and achievements since June 2025. The report is now available in digital format through Europatat’s website.

With Peter Ton at the helm, Europatat enters a new chapter focused on strengthening cooperation across the European potato industry while addressing the challenges and opportunities facing the sector in the years ahead.

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