Founded in 1969, UNISTOCK is the only association of professional storekeepers for agribulk commodities within the European Union. The by-laws of UNISTOCK are officially incorporated and registered according to Belgian Law. Its official seat is Brussels where it also has its permanent secretariat.

The prime objective of UNISTOCK is to further the interests of the individual members and their representation towards the EU authorities.

UNISTOCK is an international association with members in the following EU countries:
Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom.

UNISTOCK is an associate member of COCERAL, the European agribulk trade association. This membership enables the association to benefit in full of the contacts with the traders, who are the principal users of silo services. The President of UNISTOCK is a member of the board of COCERAL. Moreover, UNISTOCK members are also represented in COCERAL’s Trading Sections: “Markets” and “Food/Feed safety and Environment”.

The development of the EU into a community of 27 member States requires a professional entry at European Commission level. By having its proper seat in the European Commission’s Advisory Group on Cereals, Oilseeds and Proteins, UNISTOCK provides such an entry. The association attends the meeting of the Advisory Committee as an expert on storage matters.

Those meetings are held four times a year and are prepared by a COCERAL preparatory meeting. Thus a structural form of contact with the authorities at the highest level is secured, allowing a professional representation of the grain storage sector’s interests.

Day to day operational aspects of the storage sector have become more and more complex, which underlines the increased political importance of an international association such as UNISTOCK. Over the years, major changes have taken place with respect to the agribulk handled by UNISTOCK members: Were grains the dominant commodity some 30 years ago, the operational problems related to transhipment and storage of feedstuffs are now gaining importance. There is a growing need to exchange views and practical experiences with respect to health- and environment-related problems (dust emission, noise, air pollution, safety, use of toxic products, liability, GMO questions etc.). Herein UNISTOCK proved to be an ideal platform for its members, to discuss their common problems and solutions.

Other issues of international character and bearing, such as professional responsibility, quality control, ISO 9000 standards and various codes of practice (GMP, Good Trading Practices) are also of major importance to the members of UNISTOCK.