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The Director General of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), the Spaniard Pau Roca Blasco, died in Dijon on 7 December after a long illness, the OIV announced. He was 65 years old.
Roca headed the Spanish wine association FEV for over 20 years and had been Spain's delegate to the OIV since 1992. From 2010 to 2016, he headed the expert group "Consumer Rights and Information". From 2016 to 2018, he was Vice-Chairman of the Expert Group on Sustainable Development and Climate Change. He was elected Director General of the OIV at the 2018 General Assembly. There, he particularly promoted the digitalisation of the wine sector and advocated new means of communication. The relocation of the OIV headquarters to Dijon was also largely due to his initiative. In order to better network the OIV, he strengthened relations with global institutions such as the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). Under his leadership, the total number of OIV member states increased to 50 with the accession of the United Kingdom, Ukraine and Albania.
Pau Roca was 65 years old and is survived by his wife Diana and three children.
(al / Source: OIV)