ERC/04/INF/1


 

TWENTY-FOURTH FAO REGIONAL CONFERENCE FOR EUROPE

MONTPELLIER, FRANCE, 5-7 May 2004

INFORMATION NOTE

 

Conference Arrangements

1. The FAO Regional Conference for Europe will be held at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Montpellier (ENSAM) from 5 to 7 May 2004. The inaugural ceremony will start at 10.00 hours on Wednesday 5 May 2004 in the ENSAM Auditorium. The afternoon session and subsequent plenary sessions will also be held in the Auditorium.

2. Conference working hours will be from 09.30 to 12.30 and from 14.30 to 17.30, unless the Conference decides otherwise.

3. An Order of the Day will be issued daily with detailed information on Conference business, the schedule and items to be discussed, as well as other information of general interest.

4. FAO will appoint the Conference Secretary who will be assisted by other FAO staff, whose names and functions will be recorded on a list issued on the first day of the Conference.

Working Languages

5. There will be simultaneous interpretation in English, French, German and Spanish. The documentation will be issued in English, French and Spanish.

Press liaison and information

6. For the duration of the Conference, an FAO Information Officer, assisted by a Press Officer of the French Government, will be responsible for relations with the press and all matters concerning information to the public.

7. An accreditation desk will be placed at the Conference site. Journalists should bring two passport-size photographs and a letter of assignment from their editor or employer.

Documentation

8. The working documents will be sent to all invited governments and organizations prior to the Conference. Documents drafted during the Conference will be available at the Documents Distribution Desk located outside the Conference hall, where staff will also deliver mail and messages and deal with general enquiries.

Draft recommendations and amendments

9. Delegates wishing to submit draft recommendations or other documents requiring a decision by the Conference are requested to hand their texts to the Conference Secretary, in English, French or Spanish and if possible in three typewritten copies. Delegates wishing to distribute other written material related to the Conference agenda are requested to deliver 100 copies in English, 50 in French and 20 in Spanish to the Secretariat for distribution.

Advance communication of text of speeches and statements

10. To facilitate the Secretariat's task and ensure accuracy of interpretation, prepared speeches or statements should be sent in advance to the Conference Secretary, in three typewritten copies.

Correspondence

11. All correspondence concerning the Regional Conference should be addressed to the Conference Secretary at the FAO Regional Office for Europe and to the Liaison Officer, at the addresses below:

Conference Secretary
FAO Regional Office for Europe
Via delle Terme di Caracalla
00100 Rome
Tel: +39 (06) 57053499
Fax: +39 (06) 57055634
E-mail: @[email protected]

Mr Patrick Pruvot
Secrétaire général du Comité interministériel pour l'agriculture et l'alimentation
Chargé de liaison (Conférence de l'OAA)
Bureau du Premier Ministre - SGCI
Tel: +33 (01) 44871600
Fax: +33 (01) 44871604
E-mail: [email protected]

12. Telephone and fax facilities will be available on Conference premises.

Formalities for entry into France

13. Nationals of certain member countries of the Europe Region require a visa for entry into French territory. Participants are therefore invited to contact the French consulate, or the consulate of a Member State of the SCHENGEN area representing France in their country, to obtain a visa, should this be required.

14. Participants are advised to communicate, at least six weeks before their arrival, all details concerning airline, flight number (or train number) and expected time of arrival in France and date of departure, to the address indicated in Annex A. Participants are strongly advised to label their luggage clearly to facilitate its identification.

15. Reception desks will be installed at Montpellier airport and the railway station to help arriving participants with passport control, customs formalities and luggage recovery and to provide any other necessary assistance.

Foreign exchange and banking facilities

16. There is no limit to the amount of foreign currency that may be introduced into France. The exchange bureaux and banks will provide information on exchange rates and will take care of exchange and transfer operations. The national currency is the EURO.

Medical services and first aid

17. Medical and first-aid services will be available on the Conference premises.

Hotel reservations

18. All hotel reservations will be made through the Languedoc-Roussillon Region. Delegates are invited to complete the hotel reservation form provided in Annex A (pages 5 and 6) and to send the original as early as possible to Madame Anne l’Épine (Telephone: +33 4 67228096 or +33 4 67229381; Fax: +33 4 67228193; E-mail: [email protected]), with a copy to the Conference Secretary (Fax: +39-06-57055634) and to the Conference Liaison Officer (Fax: +33 1 44871604), and not later than six weeks before the Conference. The French authorities will provide transport between hotels and ENSAM for all delegates and observers.

19. Accommodation will be available for participants and their families at the hotels listed in Annex B on page 7.

Registration

20. Registration will be between 08.00 and 10.00 hours on Wednesday 5 May 2004 at the ENSAM. The Conference Secretariat will prepare a provisional list of participants on the first day of the Conference and should be notified of any corrections or additions needed, with all relevant information provided to the Documents Distribution Desk.

Climate

21. The climate in the South of France is generally pleasant and warm in May, with temperatures ranging from 31˚C during the day to 16˚C at night.

Electricity

22. Electric current frequency in France is 50 Hz.

Study tours

23. At the invitation of the Host Government, there will be a study tour for delegates on the morning of Friday 7 May 2004. Delegates wishing to participate are kindly requested to inform staff at the Documents Distribution Desk in advance so that the Host Government can make the necessary arrangements. More details on the tour will be provided locally and will be communicated in advance in the Order of the Day. The Host Government is also planning a visit for spouses. More details will be made available on arrival and any relevant information will be included in the Order of the Day.

Catering services

24. Meals will be available at the ENSAM restaurant. Delegates will be able to purchase meal tickets at a desk in the reception and registration area. The cost of a meal ticket is about 10 Euros, including beverage.

  

ANNEXE A

 

TWENTY-FOURTH FAO REGIONAL CONFERENCE FOR EUROPE
Montpellier (France), 5-7 May 2004

HOTEL RESERVATION AND NOTIFICATION OF ARRIVAL

1. Name:   ........................................................................................................
2. Country/Organization:  ..................................................................................
3. Title and position:  .........................................................................................
4. Postal address:  .............................................................................................
  ............................... Fax number:  ..................................
  E-mail:  .........................................................................................................
5. Attending as:         Delegate        Observer        Secretariat
6. Accompanied by spouse:         Yes          No
  Name of spouse:   .......................................................................................
7. Anticipated stay in France:   From  .......................   To  ..............................
8. Arrival:    Date:  .......................  Time:   ........................
  Airline and Flight No.:  .............  Train number:  ..........................................
  From (City):  .............................................................................................
  Departure:   Date:  ........................   Time:  .............................................
  Airline and Flight No.:  .........................
  To (City)  .............................................................................................
9. Accommodation:  ..................................................................................
  Name of hotel Type of room
  1. Hôtel Sofitel Comédie      Single       Double    
  2.  Hôtel Astron                      Double    
  3.  Hôtel Mercure Centre      Single                      
  4.  Hôtel Mercure Antigone      Single                       Suite
     
10.  Please indicate hotels in order of preference:
                                                                            
11. Credit card details:
        Visa        Eurocard Mastercard        American Express
  Card No:   ...................................  Expiry date:  ...........................................
  Delegate's signature:   ..........................................  Date:  ...............................

 

N.B. Participants are invited to send one copy of Annex A to each of the addressees below as soon as possible and preferably six weeks before the Conference, even if complete flight information is unavailable. This information can be sent by fax at a later date.

Mme Anne L’Épine
Conseillère du Président de la
Région Languedoc-Roussillon
Montpellier
Tel: +33 4 67228096
+33 4 67229381
Fax : +33 4 67228193
E-mail:
[email protected]

Conference Secretary
FAO Regional Office for Europe
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00100 Rome
Tel. +39 06 57053499
Fax : +39 06 57055634
E-mail:
[email protected]

Chargé de Liaison
(Conférence régionale de l’OAA)
Bureau du Premier Ministre – SGCI
Paris
Tel : + 33 1 44871600
Fax: + 33 1 44871604
E-mail:
[email protected]

 

ANNEXE B

LIST OF HOTELS

Name of Hotel

Number of rooms held by organizers

Tariff1

Hôtel Sofitel Comédie****
1, Rue des Perluisanes
Tel : +33 (4) 67 99 72 72

60 singles or doubles

€150 + visitors' tax + €18 per person for breakfast

Hôtel Astron***
45, Avenue Pirée
Tel : +33 (4) 67 20 57 57

40 doubles

€119 + visitors' tax

Hôtel Mercure Centre***
218, rue du Bastion
Ventadour
Tel : +33 (4) 67 99 89 89

50 singles

€98 + visitors' tax

Hôtel Mercure Antigone ***
285, Bd de l’aéroport
International Antigone
Tel : +33 (4) 67 20 63 63

69 singles

9 suites

€100.5 + visitors' tax

€150 + visitors' tax


_______________________

1 These are special prices obtained for the Conference by the organizers. A visitors' tax of between 85 cents and 1 Euro 18 cents will be applied per person, per night in all the hotels mentioned.