Agreement on collective communication in the floriculture sector

Trading companies, growers and Flower Council of Holland on the same page about the future communication of the sector

The Dutch Flower Wholesale Association (VGB), Royal Flora Holland (RFH) and Flower Council of Holland (FCH) are on the same page regarding the future of Flower Council of Holland . In April, support for a general binding declaration (AVV) to finance collective communication through BBH failed to materialise for both growers and trade. Both the VGB, on behalf of the trading companies, and the RFH, on behalf of the growers, have always expressed their strong support for the collective communication of the floricultural sector. Therefore, the parties remained in discussions with FCH to find a way forward. Agreement has now been reached on the new interpretation and focus of FCH and funding based on a level playing field for both trade and growers.

Based on the outcome of these discussions, the FCH Board has decided that FCH's focus will shift to broader sector communications. Not only consumer communication and consumer research in the Netherlands, but also targeted communication on relevant topics in the important European markets for floriculture. Both for consumers and for public support. There has already been a positive support test for an AVV for growers, and VGB is now also supporting the development of a new support test for trading companies.

In the coming period, VGB, RFH and FCH will work out the further details of the new course, in particular the sector communication and the further details of the levy basis. This will be followed by a further support test, after in case of positieve result an AVV application can be made. To bridge this period, the RFH Council of Members has agreed to temporarily continue the levy after 1 January 2024 until 1 January 2025.