Newsletter European Paediatric Surgeons' Association (EUPSA)

The 5th European Congress of Paediatric Surgery in Tours (France) was a great success with nearly 600 participants and a significant number of high quality presentations. The Congress was excellently organized by Yann Revillon and Yves Aigrain and we are grateful for the enormous work done by our French friends and their helpers.

Moreover, the Meeting in Tours was a very special one, because this Congress will be connected forever with the foundation of the new “EUPSA” - the European Paediatric Surgeons' Association. The Statutes and Bylaws have been agreed, a new Executive Board has been elected by the first General Assembly as well as the Members to the different Offices and the Auditors (Fig. [1]).

Fig. 1

The EUPSA consisted in the past of an informal group of delegates of the National Paediatric Surgical Associations with the goal to provide an international forum for discussion and promotion of paediatric surgical interests between Eastern and Western Countries. Our grateful thanks are addressed to the previous presidents of EUPSA, especially to Ole Nielsen and Ray Fitzgerald, who have realized that the change of the political landscape in Europe makes necessary a fundamental change of EUPSA organization, too.

The first step in this regard was the organization of European Congresses of Paediatric Surgery, the first held 1995 in Graz, thereafter 1997 in Madrid, 1999 in Brussels, 2001 in Budapest and the last one 2003 in Tours. The success of these Congresses came to a great deal from the reunion of Paediatric Surgeons from all over Europe including the Eastern countries. Now, time has come to proceed to the next step and to create a new EUPSA forum, based on an individual membership and with an organization structure that hopefully matches the future needs of our profession. This latest step towards a new EUPSA was uniformly accepted.

I am very grateful that so many friends and colleagues supported this undertaking by their valuable suggestions. Furthermore, I am grateful to the BAPS representatives - Peter Raine and David Lloyd - who also have supported the development of the new EUPSA structure by their helpful advice.

In the following paragraphs I would like to draw your attention to some important facts and information:

The Statutes and Bylaws of the new EUPSA can be seen on our Website (www.eupsa.org), Membership: It is easy to become a Member of the new EUPSA, just fill out the appropriate form on the website (www.eupsa.org). The annual fee is 30,- EUR and is connected with a substantial reduction of the future Congress Fees (for trainees 15,- EUR). Future Congresses will be held annually after the European Congress in Gdansk 2005, the Congress venues are Maastricht in 2006, Turin in 2007, Istanbul in 2008. The next business meetings of EUPSA (Executive Board, Office Meetings, European Council, General Assembly) will take place on the occasion of the 2004 World Congress of Paediatric Surgery in Zagreb, June 22 - 27, 2004 (provisional programme of that Congress on the website www.zagreb2004.kdb.hr). After Zagreb the General Assembly will be held on the occasion of the annual European Congresses. Prof. Zachariou organized the EUPSA website with a discussion-room which can be used by the Office Members for internet discussions. However, you have to keep in mind that many institutional computers have a firewall service. Therefore you should ask your administrator to inactivate a firewall for your computer during the discussion meeting. Ask Prof. Zachariou for details ([e-mail]). There have been elections of the Chairmen of the Offices: Prof. Prem Puri has been elected as Chairman of the Scientific Office, and Prof. Jean-Michel Guys as Chairman of the Education Office. Members of the Offices are asked to start with their work and to elaborate a two-year plan of activities and goals according to their related parts of Statutes and Bylaws. The Offices are the backbone of the EUPSA and their work guarantees the future success of EUPSA. The European National Associations are asked to nominate a Delegate to the European Council of EUPSA. The President Elect of EUPSA (Andrew Pintér) has already sent a letter to the Presidents of the National Associations to ask them to nominate a Delegate. The information which Delegate has been elected from a National Association should be sent by mail directly to Andrew Pintér ([e-mail]).

I am very proud to see how much support and inspiration comes already from our members and the Office bearers. This is the best basis and guarantee for a long-lasting success of EUPSA.

With my best regards Michael E. Höllwarth (President of EUPSA)

Members of the Offices 2003

Funding and Financial Affairs Office

Z. Zachariou (Bern) (Chairman) [e-mail: [e-mail]]
T. Larsson (Lund) [[e-mail]]
Z. Barčot (Zagreb) [[e-mail]]
A. Zavitsanakis (Thessaloniki) [[e-mail]]
T. Aktug (Ankara) [[e-mail]]

Scientific Office

P. Puri (Dublin) [[e-mail]]
J. Tovar (Madrid) [[e-mail]]
M. Rivosecchi (Rome) [[e-mail]]
R. Rintala (Helsinki) [[e-mail]]
S. Sarnacki (Paris) [[e-mail]]
A. Holschneider (Köln) (Editor in Chief of Eur J Pediatr Surg) [[e-mail]]
H. Till (Munich) [[e-mail]]
M. Baglai (Wrozlaw) [[e-mail]]
K. Bax (Utrecht) [[e-mail]]
A. T. El-Hadidi (Cairo) [[e-mail]]
F. C. F. Cahit (Ankara) [[e-mail]]

Media Office

Y. Aigrain (Paris) (Chairman) [[e-mail]]
J. Zoltan (Hungary) A. Holschneider (Köln) (Editor in Chief of Eur J Pediatr Surg) [[e-mail]]
D. Malcius (Kaunas) [[e-mail]]
A. de Baecker (Brussels) [[e-mail]]
G. Khanes (Ukraine) [[e-mail]]
T. Hurme (Turku) [[e-mail]]
P. Broens (Groningen) [[e-mail]]
C. Tica Constantin (Romania) [[e-mail]]

Education Office

J. M. Guys (Marseille) [[e-mail]]
P. Vörös (Hungary) [[e-mail]]
T. Wester (Uppsala) [[e-mail]]
U. Rolle (Leipzig) [[e-mail]]
E. Ceriati (Rome) [[e-mail]]
M. Pakarinen (Helsinki) [[e-mail]]
V. Barauskas (Kaunas) [pedsurg.takas.lt]
J. M. Clavert (Straßburg) M. Vidiscak (Bratislava) [[e-mail]]
E. Haxhija (Graz) [[e-mail]]

Overseas Member Office

A. T. El-Hadidi (Cairo) [[e-mail]]
Other Members