Newsletter EUPSA

Dear Members and Friends of EUPSA,

It is a great pleasure to learn that the interest in the European Paediatric Surgeon's Association (EUPSA) is enormous. New applications for membership arrive nearly every day in our mail. Therefore, there was an urgent need to professionalize not only our website but also to increase the manpower within the Executive Board.

The new website can now be pulled up either with eupsa.org or with www.eupsa.org. New applications go directly into our database, but private data (such as the credit card number) from future EUPSA members should be sent by fax or normal mail as attached form.

Jürgen Schleef, currently the Head of the Department of Paediatric Surgery in Trieste (Italy), accepted my request to act as Associate Secretary Director and to support our Secretary Yves Agrain in managing the overwhelming amount of work within this EUPSA Office. Applications are checked first and - if complete - transferred to the Treasurer as soon as they are complete.

There are a large number of applicants from whom we have unfortunately only received uncompleted applications. We try to inform those colleagues about the missing data. Please be aware that full membership begins only when the official document of membership has been sent to you. If you did not get that document yet, or if you have any questions in this regard, please feel free to contact me by e-mail.

First information about the EUPSA-Congress in Gdansk 2005 and EUPSA-Awards is already available on our website. Detailed information about the abstracts and the abstract form can be found there. Only electronically transferred abstracts will be accepted. They go directly to the Scientific Office for the reviewing process.

On the occasion of the World Congress of Paediatric Surgery we plan to hold all the EUPSA Business Meetings (Office Meetings, European Council, Executive Board Meeting and General Assembly) in Zagreb. The timetable will be as follows:

Date: Thursday, June 24, 2004 in Zagreb

European Council: 11.00 - 12.00

Congress Office: 12.00 - 14.00

Financial Affairs together with Media Office: 14.00 - 15.30

Scientific Office: 14.00 - 15.30

Education Office: 14.00 - 15.30

Overseas Members Office: 14.00 - 15.00

Executive Board: 15.30 - 17.00

General Assembly (immediately after Scientific Session): 17.00 - 19.00

The Agenda of the General Assembly will be sent to our members by electronic mail. If you have any suggestions, please inform me so that I can include them into the agenda. Members who paid their membership fee are offered a reduced registration fee for the Congress (EUR 370 instead of EUR 400).

I really hope that I will be able to welcome many of our members in Zagreb, and I wish you all the best,

Michael E. Höllwarth (President of EUPSA)