FROM THE PRESIDENT

It has been several weeks now since our European Conference took place. This major event for our European Association remains an excellent souvenir for myself who not only was in charge of its organisation but also took great pleasure in doing so. I was greatly helped in this task by the very efficient and active Organisation Committee, and also with the support of the French Association. 759 persons were able to take part in the scientific sessions, which were of a very high level, and also in the social programme which gave them the opportunity of discovering Paris in a different light. Many of the participants expressed their satisfaction, for which I am deeply grateful, for their satisfaction comforted me in the thought that our double objective – scientific and social – had been reached.

Now, it is our British friends who are taking up the torch. They will no doubt show the tenacity and the imagination necessary in the undertaking of this delicate task, and I am sure that we shall live a very great event in London in 2002.

Nonetheless, the life of our Association can not be limited to our European Conferences however important they may be. In this day and age when the nations of our Old Europe and the Mediterranean are developing closer knitted economical, cultural and even political ties for some, the duty of an Association like ours is to anticipate this trend by developing the scientific co-operation and the diffusion of the knowledge related to the domain by which it is concerned.

To achieve this, our young researchers and engineers must be encouraged to take an active part in the life of our National Associations and to become involved in all the activities to help them gain the necessary experience in our field of knowledge. The Regional Seminars which are organised offer the means of reaching this goal and we are trying to increase their number. Working groups are equally important in that respect for they offer the scientists from the different countries the opportunity of exchanging information and their own experiences. They are often hindered by the lack of financial backing but we must nonetheless endeavour to encourage their activity for it is an excellent means for helping these scientists, often of a widespread reputation, to get together. It is also important to reinforce the network of specialists. It is one of the objectives of the working groups, but no doubt our Association can contribute to achieve this aim through other actions.

An industrious activity of the European Association can not be conceivable without the active participation of all its members. Each one of our National Associations must develop its own action in relation, whenever possible, with the other National Associations or with the EAEE, which can play the part of co-ordinator for those activities which concern all of us. In that respect, the goodwill from all, and ideas for actions to which the European Association can be associated, are most welcome.

P. BISCH