Richie White of Slievenamon Agri Services has been voted onto the new nine-person board of CEETTAR, a result that matters to institute professionals as it gives Ireland's farm and forestry contractors a direct seat on the body shaping EU rules years before they reach contractors on the ground. White was elected at CEETTAR's annual general meeting in the Netherlands, hosted by Dutch contractors' association CUMELA.

White is national secretary of the Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI), a member since its foundation, and has represented FCI at CEETTAR level since 2013.

CEETTAR is the European Confederation of Agricultural, Rural and Forestry Contractors, established in 1961 and present in 14 European countries, representing around 150,000 companies and nearly 600,000 workers. It does not publish commercial financials.

Slievenamon Agri Services is White's own contracting business in Co. Tipperary, approaching its 30th year, employing 10 full-time and three part-time staff. 

The appointment addresses a structural lag between EU rule-making and its effect on Irish contractors rather than a ceremonial board seat.

White said, "The regulations that affect contractors in Ireland are made in Brussels about five years before they actually start affecting the contractors on the ground." CEETTAR is currently active on several live files illustrating that lag, including its 2026 response to the EUDR Simplification Package and ongoing work on REDIII implementation, according to CEETTAR.

White added, "To have an FCI representative on the board of CEETTAR is a significant step for Irish farm and forestry contractors; we now have a direct voice to the most influential lobbying organisation in Europe for our sector." FCI managing director Ann Gleeson Hanrahan said the appointment was "an acknowledgement of the tireless lobbying efforts that FCI have carried out in recent years."

For the sector, securing board representation converts years of prior engagement into formal influence over which EU files get prioritised. For the sector's Irish contractors specifically, earlier visibility into Brussels rule-making could shorten the lag White describes between regulation and its practical impact at farm level.

Whether board presence translates into earlier, more favourable outcomes on files like REDIII will be the practical test of this appointment.

Source: Agriland / CEETTAR