The Association of the Bremen Cotton Exchange held its 142nd Ordinary General Assembly of its 144th fiscal year in the association’s headquarters in the heart of the historic Hanseatic League City of Bremen, Germany, on June 30th, 2016. The management board reported to the members on the previous fiscal year and statutorily submitted the statement of account. After the Assembly, the presidium of the international association was elected.

Mr. Henning Hammer, Managing Director of Otto Stadtlander GmbH, Bremen, was elected President of the Exchange.

Mr. Ernst Grimmelt (49), Managing Director of Velener Textil GmbH, Velen, Germany; Mr. Fritz A. Grobien (58), Managing Partner of Albrecht, Müller-Pearse & Co. Trade (GmbH & Co.) KG, Bremen, Germany, and Mr. Jens Lukaczik (50), Managing Director of Cargo Control Germany GmbH & Co. KG, Bremen, Germany, were confirmed as Vice Presidents of the Exchange.

Mr. Hannes Drolle, Getzner Textile AG Bludenz, Austria, was elected as the newest member of the Board.

Mr. Rainer Hammer, Otto Stadtlander GmbH, Bremen, Germany; Mr. Martin Kägi, Hermann Bühler AG, Winterthur, Switzerland; Mr. Jan Kettelhack, Hch. Kettelhack GmbH & Co. KG, Rheine, Germany; Mr. Axel Trede, Cotton Service International GmbH, Bremen, Germany; and Mr. Lüder Vollers, Berthold Vollers GmbH, Bremen, Germany, were confirmed as continuing members of the Board of Directors

For the benefit of the members of the exchange as well as the whole cotton economy, the Presidents and the Board embrace valuable expert knowledge based on their different core areas of responsibility and experience.

During his inaugural address to members, President Hammer declared that the most important task of the Bremen Cotton Exchange during the coming year would be to increase consumer awareness of cotton as a natural, renewable and biodegradable raw material. The President noted that the Bremen Cotton Exchange is a center of excellence in providing objective information about cotton and in enhancing professional interaction among cotton industry participants, and he pledged that these roles would be enhanced. Mr. Hammer also emphasized the importance of the joint venture between the International Cotton Association (ICA) and the Bremen Cotton Association, known as ICA Bremen. ICA Bremen, together with the partner organization, the Faserinstitut Bremen e.V., serve as the world’s leading center for cotton quality testing for arbitration purposes.

Dr. Uwe Mazura, managing director of the Textile + Fashion Confederation, informed the members present about the status of the elaboration of criteria for the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles founded by Federal Minister for Development, Dr. Gerd Müller. Dr. Mazura regards it as his responsibility to contribute to the criteria being defined in a way that makes them workable for trade and industrial companies.

Mr. Willie Beuth, initiator of the 3p Institute for Sustainable Manage-ment, Cologne, Germany spoke on deficits and omissions in the process of implementing transparent and sustainable textile and apparel supply chains.