Update on Florinee petition: Advice to the Members’ Council
02 April 2021
The chairs of Royal FloraHolland’s Members’ Council, Supervisory Board and Management Board today issued an recommendation to the Members' Council concerning the members' petition.
Working further on the issues
They have advised the Members' Council to consider the request in part. The Members' Council is formally unable to respond to every request in the petition,given that it is not authorised to do so according to the articles of association and the Members' Council regulations.They nevertheless stress that they do wish to respond to the concerns aired. "We want to continue working with the issues raised in the petition and those also received from the market," reads the letter accompanying the formal recommendation to the Members' Council.
Advice: consider the request in part
Marcel van Tol (Chair of the Council of Members), Jack Goossens (Chair of the Supervisory Board) and Steven van Schilfgaarde (CEO) recommended the Members' Council to consider one request in part. Summarised, this request concerns allowing the Members' Council to exercise its advisory duties, in order to bolster support among members and the sector's stakeholders. These primarily involve decisions on Floriday, Floriway and digital environmental registration and certification.
Empowering the Members' Council
During the consultation meeting of 19 March between the Members' Council and representatives of members supporting the request, members indicated their sensation felt of being ignored or else not consulted adequately on these matters. They also stated that empowering the Members' Council is also part of the petition's purpose.The petitioners will have the opportunity to explain and substantiate their positions before the entire Members' Council, when this is debated with the members at an additional Members' Council meeting.This meeting will also allow Members not supporting the request by signing the petition to have their say and share their thoughts on this.
The Members' Council will decide on whether to hold an additional Members' Council meeting during the formal Members' Council meeting on 22 April.
Background to the advice
Dealing with the petition is fundamentally a matter for the Members' Council, as laid down in Royal FloraHolland's Articles of Association and regulations. This also states (in Article 10.13 of the Members' Council regulations) that the chair of the Members' Council, the CEO and the chair of the Supervisory Board must advise the Members' Council on the various requests made by means of the petition to the Members' Council. The role of the CEO and the chair of the Supervisory Board is limited to advising the Members' Council. The Members' Council will decide on whether to consider the request for an additional Members' Council meeting,and the Members' Council must not exceed its mandate assigned in this regard.
Discussing the petition: So many people, so many opinions
The Members' Council will be holding an additional members' session to discuss the petition at 19:00 on Monday 12 April. Multiple meetings have already been held with petition signatories.
On this occasion, the Members' Council is inviting members with a different view of the petition's content. The Members' Council is keen to hear what's on people's minds across the board.
Were you not one of the signatories, or do you have a different point of view? If you'd like to share a different issue or opportunity with the Members' Council,sign up by emailing: ledenraad@royalfloraholland.com
Looking forward to seeing you at 19.00 on 12 April.
How does the emergency brake work?
Members are able convene an extra Members' Council meeting,which is done using what's known as an emergency brake. What's the procedure? Watch the video:

