GoingToMeet

The forthcoming congress is a very important landmark in the history of European trauma-and emergency surgery, because it is the first congress organized by our new European society, ESTES. As most of you know by now, at the 8:th European Trauma Congress in Graz May 2007, the two big European trauma societies, ETS and EATES, merged into one society, the European Society for Trauma and Emergency Surgery = ESTES.

This merging process was initiated in 2004 and could after discussions in a very constructive atmosphere be finalised earlier than anticipated. In Graz, an interim board including the boards of the old societies was appointed to run the new society until the Budapest congress where a new, common board will be elected. The tasks of the interim board have been to settle the bylaws for the new society, make decisions with regard to registration and administrative organization, prepare for the election of the common board and, of course, support the organization of the first congress of the society in Budapest.

The advantages of merging into one society are apparent: The new society will be very strong with more than 5000 members, covering the whole of Europe with a great potential to significantly influence the development of trauma-and emergency surgery in Europe with regard to organisation, education and training, and development and research. One strong society also has a better possibility to get a political impact within the health care sector with regard to promotion of these fields. It also increases the possibilities to organise attractive meetings, and to attract sponsorship.