Dear members of AEPC,
The Annual Meeting took place in London in May and was chaired by Gurleen Sharland, Shak Qureshi, and their co-workers. The meeting was very successful with >1000 participants from ∼60 countries all over the world. A total of 700 abstracts were received. The Update Teaching Course, held by the Working Groups for Surgery and Imaging together, attracted around 250 attendees. Joint sessions were held together with the Asia Pacific Paediatric Cardiology Society (APPCS), the Japanese Society of Paediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery (JSPCCS), and the congenital domain of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS). The Working Groups are of major importance for the programme, and all groups held their own as well as combined sessions.
The Annual Meeting in London was held only a few months after the World Congress in Cape Town, which attracted a great number of AEPC members as well. The good attendance of members and guests and the strong support from the industry at the meeting in London confirms that it is valuable to have Annual AEPC meetings, even in years with a World Congress.
On behalf of the Council, we thank all members for participating in the Annual meeting held in London, all speakers for contributing with their knowledge and presentation, the industry for their strong support, and the London committee for preparing a wonderful meeting.
The business meeting
In order to facilitate participation by many of our members, the business meeting was held on Thursday morning as compared with late afternoon and evening meetings the previous years. The meeting was attended by ∼120 members and included lively discussions.
The business meeting accepted and welcomed 125 new members (69 juniors and 56 ordinary) from a total of 39 countries within and outside Europe.
The distribution of the AEPC Journal Cardiology in the Young (CTY) was discussed. During the past few years, the members have received both the paper and the electronic version. Cambridge Journal informed AEPC during 2012 about a significant increase in the cost of the paper version and suggested a switch to the “electronic version only” – except for the Annual Meeting Abstract Book that will be printed – with a significant reduction of the costs. A vote was held during the meeting and the switch to having only the electronic version from 2104 was accepted by a large majority.
Since the last Annual Meeting, the Council has been working on an update of the Constitution of AEPC. The main news is:
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• Junior members are allowed to vote at the business meeting and have equal rights as the ordinary and honorary members to vote in other ballots of the Association.
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• Voting (for elections and other matters) can be made by various feasible means, including voting electronically.
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• The last day of annual payment without a penalty fee will be the 31st of January.
The proposed changes were distributed to all members in the beginning of April. The new Constitution was accepted and can be found at www.AEPC.org.
The bylaws of the Working Groups and the Board of National Delegates will also be reviewed and updated during and discussed at the business meeting in Helsinki 2014.
The AEPC Task Force for Drugs and Therapies in Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology was created during 2012 and the nucleus, consisting of Sylvie di Filippo and Joerg Stein from the Council together with Christopher Male, Michael Burch, and Gylfi Oskarsson, has had several meetings during 2013. A questionnaire regarding drug studies has been sent to national delegates and centres. The objectives for the Task Force will be to stimulate and coordinate multi-centre studies of drugs and other therapies and to support the need for drug studies in children. The first business meeting was held in London.
During the last year, the Council has consisted of Shak Qureshi (President), Eero Jokinen (President-Elect), Gurleen Sharland (Chairman Elect for Annual Meeting in London), Katarina Hanseus (Secretary-General), Joerg Stein (Treasurer), Konrad Brockmeier (Scientific Secretary), Ornella Milanesi (Councillor), Sylvie di Filippo (Councillor), Juan Comas (Councillor, representing surgeons), Bea Bonello (Junior representative), and Johan Holm (co-opted Council member representing the WG for GUCH in ESC).
At the business meeting, the President Shak Qureshi handed over the presidency to the new AEPC President Eero Jokinen. Shak Qureshi will stay on the Council as Past-President for 1 more year. By warm applauses, the members thanked Shak Qureshi for his outstanding achievements as President and greeted Eero Jokinen as the new President.
A few other changes of the Council took place. The Council proposed that Juan Comas, whose term of duty officially ended in 2013, will be co-opted until next year when a new Councillor representing the surgeons will be elected. The members at the business meeting accepted the proposal.
Thus, the Council 2013–2014 consists of Eero Jokinen (President), Shak Qureshi (Past President), Katarina Hanseus (Secretary-General), Joerg Stein (Treasurer), Konrad Brockmeier (Scientific Secretary), Ornella Milanesi (Councillor), Sylvie di Filippo (Councillor), Bea Bonello (Councillor representing junior members), Juan Comas (co-opted Council member, representing surgeons), and Johan Holm (co-opted Council member representing the WG for GUCH in ESC). The Council can ask experts to participate in the Council meeting when needed.
As, according to the Constitution, treasurer Joerg Stein and Councillors Sylvie di Filippo and Juan Comas step down in 2014, a new Treasurer and two Councillors will be elected at the business meeting in Helsinki 2014. Nominations, signed by at least five ordinary members from two or more countries will be welcome to the Secretary-General before 22 February 2014.
The next Annual Meeting will be held in Helsinki 21–24 May 2014 and Prague will host the Annual Meeting in 2015 (20–23 May). Four bids from three countries (Athens and Kos from Greece, Rome from Italy and Lyon from France) were presented for the Annual Meetings in 2016, 2017, and 2018 at the business meeting. A vote between Athens and Kos was held by a show of hands and, as a large majority voted for Kos, Kos was accepted as the Greek venue for the Annual Meeting. Owing to severe shortness of time during the business meeting, a proper voting for the years 2016–2018 unfortunately could not take place properly. Instead, an electronic voting will take place via the AEPC web during next summer.
Finally, we hope all AEPC members have had a good summer. As always, we are looking forward to meeting you at AEPC meetings and via mail contact.
We wish all the members a relaxing vacation period!
Eero Jokinen Katarina Hanséus
President Secretary-General
