A Message from the President of AEFP Europe – Dr. Rüdiger Paul Kirsten.
The President of AEFP Europe would like to welcome both Malta and Italy to the AEFP Organisation, who subject to the impact of future Covid 19 restrictions and developments in Europe, are planning to take part in the Entente Florale Competition 2021. Malta is represented by the Local Council’s Association of Malta/Gozo and Italy is represented by the Cittá Smart and Green Organisation.
The Board of AEFP has also recently approved changes to the Articles and Bye-Laws of the Association to enable communities, public bodies, cities, towns and villages throughout Europe on an individual basis to enter our competition, with prior Board approval
Such individual applicants will be able to enter the Competition under the category of Associate Membership and are permitted to take part where the applicant’s country of origin is not an Ordinary member of AEFP or where no national organisation or competition exists in that country. This is a very positive development for our competition and will foster greater flexibility in dealing with the future challenges we face and will ensure the well-being and aspirations of European Citizens during and after this period of crisis are suitably prioritised.
The Association remains confident that many of the entrants for 2020 will be able to go forward for adjudication in 2021 and that some countries will be able to designate a second entry (or even a third entry if they wish) which together with individual entrants will enhance next year’s Competition. We therefore hope all going well to have a successful Awards Presentation in Balatonfured, Hungary in September 2021.
Finally, as President of the Association I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our National Associations and members, Jury Members and Participant Communities a healthy and safe remainder of 2020. I hope there will be some improvements in the overall public health situation with the early availability of an effective vaccine together with the phased lifting of the current Covid -19 Restrictions in the Spring of 2021, and we can look forward to a successful 2021 Competition and Awards Ceremony.
