EAS Members' General Assembly 2010

EAS 2010 Congress, Hamburg, June 21, 2010

Present: Executive Committee members, 90 members

1 CHAIRPERSONS’ INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME
The Chair, EAS President Professor John Chapman (JC) welcomed everyone and thanked them for attending.

2 APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The minutes of the previous General Assembly (April 2008, Istanbul) were approved without amendment or comment.

3 PRESIDENT’S REPORT
The President’s slide presentation is available HERE. A review of developments in the EAS over the period since the previous General Assembly, together with proposals for future initiatives, was presented, and covered the following topics. (Points marked * were opened to the members for discussion.)

  • Introduction of EC members
  • Development of EAS infrastructure
  • Membership drive
  • Membership benefits
  • Congress
  • Atherosclerosis Journal
  • Collaborations
  • Relationship EAS/IAS/National Societies*
  • Corporate Partnerships
  • Consensus Position Paper Initiative
  • Educational Initiatives*

Discussion: Relationship EAS/IAS/National Societies.
Individual membership of EAS and National Atherosclerosis Societies; both EAS and National Atherosclerosis Societies are affiliated members of the IAS. The following points were raised:

  • What is the situation at other continents? The situation is the same worldwide.
  • The National Atherosclerosis Societies are affiliated to IAS. EAS in between and has individual membership. It has to be in between. EAS is an important network for scientists in Europe. JC confirmed EAS willingness to support the National Societies.
  • IAS is more institutional. EAS is more personal as it has individual membership.
  • A similar relationship exists for national and international societies in other disciplines (e.g., IDF-EASD).
  • JC concluded by asking the members whether they were satisfied with the status quo. A majority of members indicated they were.

Discussion: Educational Initiatives/Summer School.

  • JC outlined the proposals for development of a program of Educational Activities put forward by the Executive Committee, which included Summer School, Advanced Courses, Symposia and Workshops.
  • Professor Ulrike Beisiegel (UB) and Dr Philippa Talmud, each of whom played key roles in the conception and organization of the EAS Summer School over a period of 5 years, described its qualities – different in nature to Workshops and Symposia, a residential course, offered to students as they enter the field, and giving them an opportunity to learn and network in a uniquely stimulating environment. They expressed concern at the Executive Committee’s decision not to hold Summer School in 2010, and to rename it as “Advanced Course in…”.
  • Former participants, both students and teachers, expressed strong support for the Summer School program as it was, and regret that it will not be held this year.
  • JC explained that the decision not to proceed with the proposal for Summer School 2010 was taken following lengthy discussions by the Executive Committee, and was regrettably unavoidable due to several unresolved practical issues and logistical difficulties. He, together with Professor Rudi Zechner, President of the EAS Scientific Committee and an Executive Committee member, emphasized that at no point in the discussions had any member of the Executive Committee expressed a wish to cancel the Summer School, and that the decision regarding the organization of Summer School 2010 did not preclude the continuation of Summer School in future years.
  • Several potential developments in the Educational Initiatives of EAS were proposed for comment by members. A question arose regarding the strategy behind the Activities proposed. JC responded that the proposals were put forward as part of a democratic process for consideration by the members. No specific comments on possible priorities among the potential initiatives proposed were received.

4 ADMINISTRATIVE EXECUTIVE’S REPORT
The report by the EAS Administrative Executive, Carmel Hayes, is available as a presentation <here>.

5 APPROVAL AND VOTE ON AMENDMENTS TO BY-LAWS

  • According to the EAS Constitution, a majority approval by the members at the General Assembly is required to ratify amendments to the Constitution approved by electronic referendum. Professor Petri Kovanen, EAS Secretary, presented summary of the results of the electronic referendum on changes and amendments to the Society’s by-laws held February 2009<here>. A motion was put forward to consider all the amendments for approval in a single vote. This was done.

All of the amendments to the Constitution were approved by a majority vote.
A question was brought up as to why the amendment to Article 5 (Executive Committee decide whom to propose as honorary members, instead of proposals taking place at the General Assembly). Professor Taskinen, who had been EAS President at the time the amendments to the by-laws were drawn up, explained that this was a practical matter. Members expressed a wish to be more involved in this process. It was agreed that an amendment to Article 5 should be drawn up; this new amendment to be put to an electronic vote via the EAS website, and ratified at the General Assembly in 2011.

6 TREASURER’S REPORT

  • The report by the EAS Treasurer, Professor Jan Boren, is available as a presentation <here>.
  • Professor Boren highlighted the fact that the EAS membership fee had been significantly reduced since 2008 (from 100 € to 40 € for members over 35, and from 80 € to 20 € for members 35 and under) as a direct result of the negotiations with the Atherosclerosis journal publisher, Elsevier; members receive online access to the journal as part of EAS membership (from 2009), but no longer receive the journal in printed format.
  • Concern was expressed over the increased cost of EC meetings comparing spending 2009 to 2008 – might it be possible to hold more meetings using video links and similar technology? Answer: the Executive Committee do hold a regular meeting by teleconference every month, and meet on at least two occasions per year for face-to-face discussions. The increase in cost of EC meetings was a reflection of the increase in number of meetings held (four in 2009) – the cost per day of meeting in 2009 was, in fact, lower than in previous years.

7 REPORT FROM ATHEROSCLEROSIS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

  • Professor Steve Humphries, Editor-in-chief of Atherosclerosis, gave a report.
  • Currently publishing 400 out of ca. 1500 papers submitted annually.
  • Continued push to publish the backlog of articles is having a negative effect on the Impact Factor (now 4.5, had been 4.6 in 2009).
  • Average time from acceptance to publication of an article = 6 weeks.
  • Reviews Editor is Professor Arnold von Eckardstein, Supplements Editor is Professor Alberico Catapano.
  • The journal production team is currently working to implement an electronic method of checking for plagiarism, and to schedule development of the journal production to online only.

8 MEMBERSHIP FEE
A proposal was made to maintain the membership fee at the current level (40 € for members over 35, and 20 € for members 35 and under) for 2011.
This proposal was approved by majority vote without comment.

9 AOB
These points were raised during the meeting:

  • EAS Anniversary: 2014 will mark the 50th anniversary of the EAS (founded in 1964). It might be appropriate for this to be marked in some way at the Congress to be held in that year.
  • Policy on holding EAS Congress in the same year as IAS meeting is held: Please note: This occurs every three years, and the next occurrence will be in 2012.
    The policy has been that EAS holds a Congress in years when the IAS meeting is to be held outside Europe. In 2012 the IAS meeting will be held in Australia and EAS Congress in Milan. The meetings will take place at different times of the year, and care will be taken to offer complimentary programs. In 2015, the IAS meeting is to be held in Europe. In a change from previous policy, EAS plans also hold Congress that year.
  • EAS Congress in Hamburg - Report: Professor Beisiegel, Congress Chair, reported the latest information about from the EAS Congress in Hamburg: over 1750 delegates attending, from 68 countries. She highlighted the innovative approach to the poster sessions employed, with a unique display in the exhibition area and chaired poster-session discussions. She expressed thanks to all involved in the Congress preparation, in particular to the senior scientists who had given their enthusiastic support to the moderated poster session concept and would act as discussion leaders in these sessions.
  • Deadline for submission of abstracts to Congress
    For EAS 2010 Hamburg the deadline for submission of abstracts was in November 2009 – at 7 months ahead of Congress, this was felt to be too early. There was general agreement that the corresponding date for EAS 2011 in Gothenburg should be set as late as practically possible.
  • Consensus Position Paper Initiative
    Further information requested. JC described how the group of EAS members formed an expert panel to prepare a Consensus paper on “Cardiovascular risk reduction in atherogenic dyslipidemia: Beyond LDL-C and statins”.

10 CLOSE OF MEETING