A new board of directors was elected by members of AREA (Air conditioning and Refrigeration European Association) for 2014-2016 at its General Assembly meeting from 9-10 May in Padua, Italy.

Graeme Fox stepped down as president of AREA after serving for four years and was replaced by Per Jonasson, from the Swedish association KYL. Mr Jonasson was previously treasurer of the board.

Coen van de Sande (NVKL, Netherlands) and Wolfgang Zaremski (VDKF, Germany) joined the board as treasurer and member, respectively, while Philippe Roy (SNEFCCA, France) left after four years.

New president Per Jonasson warmly thanked Graeme Fox for his close involvement, tremendous work and overall success over the past four years, notably with the revision of the F-Gas Regulation. He considered his new task as both challenging and exciting and looked forward to representing the sector to his best.

Pictured (L to R): The newly elected AREA Board: Peter Bachmann (director); Marco Buoni (vice president); Graeme Fox (immediate past president); Per Jonnasson (president); Coen van de Sande (treasurer); Wolfgang Zaremski (director).

Separately, Cedric Sloan, director general of FETA, was awarded honorary membership of AREA at the General Assembly.

The honour was proposed by the new AREA president Per Jonasson in recognition of Mr Sloan’s contribution to restructuring the trade organisation and providing a firm administrative base within ORGALIME.

After 15 years working with his international colleagues in AREA, it was a fitting tribute to his personal efforts on behalf of AREA, but also recognised the unstinting support of the British Refrigeration Association to AREA, from its start as a fledgling European trade body to become a respected RAC association in Brussels.