Promoting interests and lending service
Promoting interests at home and abroad, solving problems, answering queries, arranging collections, providing terms and conditions of sale and offering a wide range of services. Those are the core activities of Anthos, the Royal Trade Association for Nursery Stock and Flower Bulbs.
For and by businesses
Anthos represents the companies that trade in flower bulbs and nursery stock products in many consultative structures. That way, their interests are promoted in the best possible way, while the organisation contributes to an improved business climate for its members in the sector.
Through Anthos, "the business" is represented by the boards and committees of, among others:
- Product Board for Horticulture (PT);
- the promotion organisations, the International Flower Bulb Centre (IFBC) and Plant Publicity Holland (PPH);
- the quality inspection services, the Flower Bulb Inspection Service and NAKTuinbouw, and the Flower Bulb Quality Mark Foundation Holland;
- the Dutch Horticulture Council, the executive board of the Floriade Foundation, the Foundation National Depot of Ornamental Plants and the Foundation for Innovation of Flowers & Food;
- the Tree Nursery Council;
- the Chambers of Commerce for Rijnland and West-Friesland/Waterland;
- the Greenport of the Flowerbulb district and Boskoop Region
Promotion of interests
The field for promotion of interests covers a wide area, and this is where Anthos is active. For instance, the organisation is closely involved in issues in the fields of:
Sectoral issues and trade levies
- Co-responsible for the sector policy and the extent and payment of the trade levies of the Product Board for Horticulture;
- Participation in organisations, committees and other consultative structures, dealing with promotion, market access, quality, phytosanitary issues, the environment, customs issues, education, research, logistics and spatial planning;
- Coordination of the policy with governments and organisations at home and abroad.
Trade and sales
- Fulfilling a supervisory role in the development of (inter) national policies for market access (e.g. Russia and China);
- Giving advice about sales within Europe;
- Co-financing and advising the promotion policy;
- Co-financing and managing the international phytosanitary policy (for the United States, Canada and Japan among others);
- Offering assistance in the event of trade barriers.
Logistics and transport
- Consulting with shipping companies and insurance companies;
- Arranging for container inspections to be carried out in the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp.
- Involvement in the development of data traffic and E-commerce (Edibulb);
- Development and availability of supply and demand system for flower bulbs and perennials (www.Bollenbeurs.nl).
Research and Innovation
- Initiating collective research projects to support sales;
- Financing and managing the research programme for flower bulbs and perennials in the United States;
- Initiating innovation projects.
Collective agreement, employment and training
- Negotiating party in respect of the collective agreement labour for the Flower Bulb Wholesale Trade and party to the collective agreement for the nursery stock;
- Close involvement in the development of the labour market policy;
- Providing a framework for the sectoral training policy by participating in the board of the Flower Bulbs Academy and the Nursery Stock Education Committee;
- Organisation of training sessions and workshops.
Spatial Planning
- Involvement in consultations about issues in the field of spatial planning;
- Active participation in the development of the policy for the Greenport Dune and Bulb-Growing Area and the Greenport Boskoop.
Services
In addition to the general promotion of interests, Anthos assists its members if they have individual issues or corporate problems. The services extend to the following areas:
* Trade and export
* Business, collective agreements and employment
* Collections and debt management
You can obtain an up-to-date overview of our services from the secretariat of Anthos (telephone number +31 (0)252 535 080) or from our website: www.anthos.org.
Financial benefits
Members of Anthos can obtain major financial benefits: because Anthos is affiliated to the Member Benefits Foundation, member discounts have been stipulated for Internet and telephony rates, courier services, collection, insurance, hotel rates, Health & Safety and environmental services and much, much more.
You can obtain an up-to-date overview of the member benefits from the secretariat of Anthos (telephone number +31 (0)252 535 080) or from our website: www.anthos.org.