1. The 36th Session of the Executive Committee of the International Poplar Commission (IPC) was held in Zaragoza, Spain, on 22nd September 1992, at the kind invitation of the Government of the Kingdom of Spain. Mr. V. Steenackers, Chairman of the Executive Committee chaired the meeting. It consisted of a closed session of 10 members and 3 heads of Working Parties as well as the Secretary of the Commission and a former Secretary of the IPC acting as adviser.
2. The Session was opened by the Chairman of the Committee. The provisional Agenda was adopted.
3. The Chairmen of the Working Parties presented their reports. Arising from the discussions a request was made by the Executive Committee to the Working Party on Breeding to prepare a project on the conservation, exploration and improvement of the genetic resources of species of poplars and willows growing in arid, semi-arid and subtropical regions. This would in due course be transmitted to FAO with the recommendation to explore means of funding to implement the project.
4. The Committee was informed that Mr L. Nef (Belgium) would be the new Chairman of the Working Party on Insects and Other Animal Pests.
5. The Secretariat informed the Committee of the candidates proposed by member countries from which its members for the period 1993-1996 would be elected. The need for an appropriate geographic distribution of members for the dissemination of developments in poplar and willow technology was stressed.
6. The Executive Committee, at its 35th meeting, proposed to transform the two Ad Hoc Committees on Poplar Breeding and Biomass Production Systems into Working Parties of the same name (paras. 40 to 42 of the Report of the 35th Executive Committee meeting). The Secretariat advised the Committee that the FAO Legal Office gave clearance for the proposal to be implemented. The Committee accordingly agreed to recommend it to the 19th Session of the IPC.
7. The Secretariat informed the Committee of the offers received from member countries to host the 37th Session of the Executive Committee; the Committee supported the proposal to hold the meeting in Italy.
8. The Committee was informed by Mr Bisoffi of the preparation of a Directory of Poplar and Willow Scientists, which is held on a database by the Italian Istituto di Sperimentazione per la Pioppicoltura. The Committee recommended that the new Executive Committee consider the arrangements that should be made for its future maintenance.
9. The newly elected members of the Executive Committee for 1993-1996 met on 25th September 1992 to elect the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Committee and discuss general business.
10. Mr. Steenackers (Belgium) was elected as the Chairman and Mr. Wang Shiji (People's Rep. of China) as the Vice-Chairman of the Executive Committee, both unanimously. It was agreed that Messrs G. Vallée (Canada), K. Siddiqui (Pakistan) and G. Lapietra (Italy) should be co-opted to the Executive Committee. Mr D. Terrasson (France) was elected Chairman of the Sub-committee on Nomenclature.
11. The preparation of a new edition of the FAO publication "Poplars and Willows" was discussed and it was agreed to request the Chairman to obtain the views of the Executive Committee, before raising the matter at the next Executive Committee meeting.
