European Board of Ophthalmology

Ten New Member Countries to Join the Board

With the expansion of the European Union, up to twenty new delegates are expected to gather to the next Annual General Assembly in Potsdam in June, 2005, to decide on the actions of the Board and its standing Committees for the term 2005-2006.

Since May 1, 2004, several new delegates already have been nominated by the National Ophthalmological Societies of the new member countries. The nominations are done in writing to the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS), whereafter the Delegates can attend the Board meetings.

In the General Assembly of 2004, which was held in Budapest last June, Delegates from Hungary, Poland and Slovenia were already present. In the Extraordinary General Assembly of Brussels, November 2004, Czech Republic, Latvia and Lithuania joined the Board. Cyprus and Slovak Republic also have nominated their National Delegates, whereas Malta and Estonia have not made their Delegates yet public.

In the Brussels General Assembly, one delegate of the new member countries was elected to Vice-Presidency and three members were elected to join in running standing committees of the Board: Marko Hawlina (Slovenia) became one of the four Vice-Presidents and the Chair of the Residency Exchange Committee as well as Vice-Chair of Education Committee; Bálint Kovàcs (Poland) became the Secretary of the Residency Review Committee; and Milan Izak (Slovak Republic), became the Secretary of the Residency Exchange Committee.

The European Board warmly welcomes all of its new members to join efforts in making European Ophthalmology flourish.