PART I REPORT OF THE 40TH SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE INTERNATIONAL POPLAR COMMISSION

I ORGANIZATION

The 40th Session of the Executive Committee of the International Poplar Commission (IPC) was jointly hosted by the Governments of Canada and USA in Portland, Oregon, USA, on 24 September 2000 at the kind invitation of the Government of USA. Mr V. Steenackers, Chairman of the Executive Committee, chaired the meeting. It consisted of a closed session of 10 members, 7 heads or secretaries of Working Parties and the Secretary of the Commission.

II THE SESSION

1. The Session was opened by the Chairman of the Committee. The provisional agenda was adopted.

2. The Chairmen of the Working Parties presented their reports. All reported that their members had maintained contacts with one another both through the internet and informal meetings at the time of sessions of other bodies such as IUFRO, the EU Poplar project and the IEA. Contacts had been continued with the EUFORGEN group. The importance of these links and of the co-ordination of activities was stressed.

•  The Breeding Working Party reported an improvement in coordination and the provision of linkages between national poplar commissions and the Working Party. It reported the improved organisation of scientific meetings, especially on genetics, but no progress had been made on joint activities.
  
•  The Logging and Utilisation Working Party reported that several countries have taken part in the programme adopted at the last session of the IPC, and that a start has been made on the drafting of technical leaflets
  
•  The Working Party on Poplar Diseases reported that there continued to be major problems of poplar diseases worldwide but that there was a shortage of qualified pathologists specialised in poplar diseases. A global review of poplar diseases had been prepared, which was available on the IPC website. The interaction of poplar diseases with insect pests was noted, as was the need to strengthen collaboration with tree breeders.
  
•  The Working Party on Insect Pests reported that a global survey of poplar insect pests had been prepared and had been placed on the IPC website.
  
•  The Working Party on Production Systems reported that the proceedings of a meeting on biomass and bio-energy had been produced.
  
•  The Sub-committee on Nomenclature reported that the Register had been updated to May 2000. It now contained details of 330 cultivars, including six new cultivars from India and six from Italy. A new version of the registration form and the summary description had been prepared, as well as a new synthesis of the rules of nomenclature. The information had all been placed on the IPC website.
  
•  The Secretariat reported on the development of the new IPC website.

3. The Secretariat informed the Committee of the names of the candidates proposed by member countries from which its members would be elected for the period 2000-04.

4. The Secretariat informed the Committee that no offers to host the 41st Session of the Executive Committee had been received.

5. The responsibilities of the Working Parties were discussed, with reference to subjects that were presently not covered by the existing Parties. Criteria for topics for discussion in the Working Parties were developed, with a view to strengthening recommendations to the plenary session.

6. The Secretariat informed the Committee of the satellite meeting to mark the 50th anniversary of the IPC that had been held during the XI World Forestry Congress (Antalya, Turkey, October 1997).

7. The members of the Committee recorded their thanks to the Director of the Istituto de Sperimentazione per la Pioppicoltura (Casale Monferrato, Italy) for the continued support of his Institute towards the compilation of the Directory of Poplar and Willow Scientists, which had been placed on the IPC website.

III POST-SESSION INFORMAL MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

8. The newly elected members of the Executive Committee for 2000-04 met informally on 28th September 2000 to elect the Chairman and Vice-chairman of the Committee and to discuss general business.

9. Dr Stefano Bisoffi (Italy) was elected Chairman and Dr Jud Isebrands (USA) was elected Vice-chairman of the Executive Committee, both unanimously. It was agreed that Ing. Teresa Cerrillo (Argentina), Dr Eui Rae Noh (Korea), Mr J. Richardson (Canada) and Mr V. Steenackers (Belgium) should be co-opted to the Executive Committee. Dr Bisoffi was appointed Chairman of the Sub-committee on Nomenclature.

10. Dr Bisoffi made a presentation on his vision for the IPC in the coming four years and chaired the following discussion. He identified the challenges as being the need to:

•  broaden membership;
  
•  stimulate the work and activities of national poplar commissions;
  
•  encourage the activities of the Working Parties;
  
•  increase visibility of the IPC;
  
•  broaden participation at the meetings of the IPC to include the private sector and policy-makers.

12. The offer of Dr Isebrands to maintain the website opened for the 21^st session as a website for future meetings was gratefully accepted.