ENAJ activities galore: here's your chance to participate

Issue 2

Here we are again with a ENAJ Newsletter and not before time. With the DG Agri Event and the ENAJ general assembly of January 2015 behind us, and different ENAJ Low Budget Press Trips, an ENAJ delegate meeting and press programme around the Informal Council of Ministers of Agriculture in Latvia ahead, there's a lot happening.

Significantly, both the Norwegian and recently founded Bulgarian associations of agricultural journalists joined ENAJ in January. ENAJ now counts 22 member associations: Belgium, Croatia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Bulgaria, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Norway and Switzerland. Also important was the confirmation of the ENAJ strategy by the general assembly and of course celebrating the winners of the ENAJ Young Journalist Competition.

As you already know from other communications, we expect ENAJ delegates in Riga (Latvia) from May 31^th to June 2^nd for the ENAJ delegate meeting, the press programme and the Informal Council of Ministers. You'll find the programme further in this Newsletter.

Personally I find our ENAJ Low Budget Press Trip (LBPT) programme one of the most important aspects of ENAJ's activities. They provide a great opportunity for networking and information exchange about EU agriculture. This year's first LBPT is at the end of April, with the theme of organic agriculture. Further on we’re looking forward to events in Ireland (in June) and Italy and Austria later in the year.

Of course we’ll not forget our young journalist activities; we also hope to welcome soon the Greek and Latvian associations of agricultural journalists. In the meantime we are ready to help existing associations if needed as much as possible.

Jef Verhaeren
Chairman

Follow us on our website (note the new address www.enaj.eu) and on Ag-Press, where we work together with DG Agri. Not a member of Ag-Press yet? Sign up and you get access to an excellent website with information and statistics about the Common Agricultural Policy, as well as a weekly newsletter.

Contents

Delegate meeting and press programme in Latvia
Invite to organic and ecological Denmark
Norway and Bulgaria join ENAJ
ENAJ strategy: enrich the experience of agricultural journalists
Young farmers inspire young journalist competition winners
Handshakes from the EU Commissioner
Hogan optimistic about dairy
Upcoming events

Jef Verhaeren
Chairman, European Network of Agricultural Journalists

Delegate meeting and press programme in Latvia
From May 30^th until June 2^nd ENAJ delegates will meet in Riga (Latvia) for a delegate meeting, the Informal Council of Ministers of Agriculture and a press programme. The preliminary timetable is as follows:

Sunday May 31, 2015
Delegates are expected to arrive before 1300h.
16.00-16.30: Opening press conference at the Ministry of Agriculture
16.30:             Free time / excursion in the Riga Old Town

Monday June 1, 2015
Field trip
9.30:               Departure to the household (Transport will be organised by the Latvian Presidency)
10.30-11.30: Meeting the Ministers at “Buku audzētava” farm (Valgundes parish, Jelgavas region)
11.30-13.00: Lunch at “Buku audzētava” and brief interviews/photos with the Ministers
14.00-15.30: Visiting family farm “Kalnacīruļi” (Iles parish, Auces region)
15.30:             Departure to Riga
18.30: Dinner with presentation (or free time)

Tuesday June 2, 2015
Informal Council Ministers of Agriculture
Latvian National Library, Mūkusalas street 3, Rīga
8.45:               Group photo of the Ministers
12.30-13.00: Press Conference
13.00:             Lunch at the Latvian National Library
Departure after lunch

Delegates (or their guilds) have to pay their flights only. So book your flight as soon as possible. We’ll stay in the Konventa Seta Hotel in the old centre of Riga (Kaleju street 9/11, LV-1050, Old Town).

Invite to organic and ecological Denmark

Denmark is the place to be at the end of April. The Danske Fødevare- og Landbrugsjournalister, by far the oldest association of agricultural journalists in the world, and ENAJ are organising a study trip about organic and ecological farming. Denmark is amongst the leading countries when it comes to organic production. From Monday April 27 until Thursday April 30 journalists will explore this special agricultural sector. The trip starts in Billund in Jutland. The participants will see the developments in nearly every sector: from arable farming to dairy and from pig production to mussels. There is a debate: pro or contra ecology.

Every member association/guild of the ENAJ can send at least one journalist to this study trip. It’s the second ENAJ study trip. The goal is to organise a tour with strong topics but low budget, focused on a special theme. The fee is €175 for a double room. Sign up before April 20. Contact person in Denmark is Gudrun Andreasen. Click here to see the whole programme.

Norway and Bulgaria join ENAJ
Norway and Bulgaria are the newest members of the European Network of Agricultural Journalists. At the annual general meeting of the ENAJ, held on January 28 in Brussels, the participants welcomed both associations with enthusiasm. At the same meeting Serbia was accepted as an observer member.

The ENAJ now has 22 member associations/guilds from EU and EFTA countries, six observer members and six associated members. Thanks to the contribution of associated members and gifts from the Belgian, German and Dutch associations, the ENAJ now has a capital fund of €6,063.

ENAJ-strategy: enrich the experience of agricultural journalists
At the AGM on January 28 in Brussels, the ENAJ's assembly accepted a strategy for the coming years. Agricultural journalists, who are members of an association/guild can expect:

at least two themed low budget journalistic tours per year
special activities for young journalists (writing contest, Brussels trip with information about the CAP, education)
Participation in events like the World Expo in Italy, fairs, meetings of interest in Brussels, etc.
Access to membership of Ag-Press
Communication and contact with colleagues

The focus is on three key threads: a high quality of journalism, a programme that’s affordable to all agricultural journalists, and a strong network. The strategy document mentions several objectives. First to build a network of benefit for agricultural journalists, second to improve the quality of journalism and the contact between journalists. Later on the ENAJ wants to provide better access for journalists to interesting sources and events. If there is not a national association or guild the ENAJ will offer to help build it.
The vision of the ENAJ is to enrich the experience of agricultural journalists by cultivating contacts, staging overseas events and providing a network framework. It should raise the skills, abilities and output of the journalists.

Young farmers inspire young journalist competition winners

Proof that there’s a future for young people in farming was, appropriately, the subject of all the winning articles in this year’s Young Agricultural Journalist competition. Austria’s Eva Zitz won first prize with ‘Agriculture is sexy’, her account of Pedro Bernandes, a young fruit grower from western Portugal who took over and restructured his father’s farm. Judges awarded it 178 points from a maximum of 200, citing its relevance, style and high comprehensibility.

Hot on her heels, with 176 points, was Slovenia’s Klara Nahtigal. Klara wrote about another young farmer who, not content with a farm comprising Haflinger horses, cattle and poultry, decided to branch out further and diversify into adventure vacation, riding lessons and children’s activities.

Holland’s Durkje Hietkamp took third place for her article about Nieske Neimeijer. She’s a 30-year-young farmer who, after taking on her husband’s parents’ farm, decided to go down the difficult road of conversion to organic production to make the unit viable.

Click here to read the articles of the three winners.

The contest, run by the European Network of Agricultural Journalists and supported by DG AGRI, saw entries from more than half of ENAJ’s member countries. Judges included the ENAJ vice president, Katharina Seuser; Roger Waite DG Agri ; Slovenia’s Tatjana Cop, a member of the ENAJ management committee; and John McClintock, DG AGRI communication expert from Internal and external communication.

Click here to read more

Handshakes from the EU Commissioner

Phil Hogan, the new European commissioner in charge of agriculture and rural development, made a remarkable entry to the CAP Communication Networking Event January 29 in Brussels. Every journalist in the venue got a personal handshake from the Irish commissioner. The journalists didn’t realise it, but they where one handshake away from two world leaders: Barack Obama and Donald Tusk.

AG-Press members and representatives of the ENAJ member associations/guilds were invited for this yearly event focused on the CAP and organised by DG Agri. About 250 journalists from all over Europe attended the event.

Hogan optimistic about dairy
“I don’t see any problem after the ending of the milk quota system.”

Phil Hogan the EU commissioner in charge of agriculture sounded optimistic at the CAP Communication Networking Event January 29 in Brussels. Later on he got support from Tassos Haniotis, director economic analysis, perspectives and evaluation of DG Agri. “Milk is the new white gold”, he said. He predicted an average milk price of 35 eurocent per kg in the next ten years. But this milk price will be volatile. According to Haniotis European dairy will strongly benefit from the increase of the world milk market by 2.1 % per year.

Phil Hogan also talked about the TTIP negotiations of the EU and the USA. He promised that Europe would stick to the high standards of food. “We will not accept second class standards. Then there will be no deal.”

His highest priority as commissioner will be fewer rules and simplification of the Common Agricultural Policy.

Upcoming events
April 27 – April 30, Denmark, Billund, Study trip organic and ecological farming
May 1 – October 31 Italy, Milan, World Expo
May 31 – June 2 Latvia, Riga, Informal EU council of the ministers of agriculture
End of June, Ireland, Dublin, ENAJ/Irish Food Board Press trip about sustainable agriculture in the beef and dairy sectors.
August/September, Austria, Study trip about mountain farming in the Alps
December, Brussels, AGM of the ENAJ and CAP Communication Networking Event

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If you want to make sure of receiving your own copy in future, please sign up using this link. In the meantime, we'll look forward to seeing many of you during the year at the coming events.

The ENAJ management team