From when can an MPS-ABC participant use the uniform vignette?
According to the regulations, a vignette may only be used after all requirements from the certification standard have been met. For an MPS-ABC participant this means that 13 consecutive periods must be recorded and the initial audit has been successfully completed. In practice, a grower can already print the logo on pots and other packaging material earlier, but this may only be put on the market after the standard requirements have been met.
Deviations from the uniform vignette
The uniform vignette has been created to combat the proliferation of logo and number use, among other things. If a grower wishes to indicate on his packaging material that he is participating in one or more MPS certification standards, the uniform vignette must be used for this. The rules for application are included in the “Instructions for the MPS vignette“. These instructions include requirements with regard to the dimensions of the logo. This may deviate from +/- 50% without the need for permission. If this does not work for a grower, a request can be submitted to Service & Support to deviate from these prescribed dimensions. Service & Support can handle these requests with a written permission / rejection so that the grower can show them if the use of the sticker is discussed during an audit. The most important starting point is that the proportions of the vignette remain intact and that the vignette remains legible. Deviation from the use of the vignette by, for example, only showing the MPS number or the qualification is not permitted.
Over 30 years ago, my journey at MPS began after I saw an advertisement in the newspaper. After the birth of my daughter, I was looking to return to work and joined the data entry department. At the time, all data was still entered manually from paper forms. Since then, I have seen the organisation grow and change, and I have grown along with it.Today, I work in the Service & Support department. No two days are the same: one day I help a customer with questions about record-keeping, the next I help them understand requirements from the auction or the UO. It is precisely this variety and the personal contact with customers that make my work interesting every day.
In 2008, I joined MPS through a recruitment agency as a secretary. I then held various positions within MPS and MPS-ECAS, including roles in the Service & Support team and as a planner. In 2018, I left the organisation for a while, but in 2023 I returned to MPS-ECAS as a back-office employee. The people are simply too much fun and the world of ornamental horticulture is so innovative that it kept drawing me back. Shortly afterwards, I started working at MPS as Coordinator Netherlands.
During the final year of my Environmental Sciences degree, I joined MPS for an internship. The internship worked out so well for both sides that I was able to stay afterwards. It felt like a natural next step, because I immediately felt at home here and was given the opportunity to continue developing myself.My work is very varied. I work on different projects and products, carry out research and analyses and contribute to practical solutions. I also manage various systems, support customers with complex technical questions and work with external parties. It is precisely this combination that makes my work interesting and ensures that no two weeks are the same.
I first joined MPS through a friend who worked in MPS’s student team. I continued working here while studying Commercial Economics, and at the end of my studies, in 2004, MPS asked if I wanted to join the organisation permanently. It seemed like a great opportunity, and more than twenty years later, I am still here.No two days are the same, and that is exactly what makes my work so enjoyable. A large part of my week consists of project meetings and translating needs from within the organisation into practical solutions. Thursday afternoon is a regular fixture, which I set aside with a colleague to make MPS 1% better every week. For example, we experiment with AI, build prototypes, improve processes or develop new ideas. The goal is always to work smarter and create more value for colleagues, customers and the organisation.