The members
participating to the Board meeting are: Peter Kappeler (President, Gesellschaft
fur Primatologie, GfP); Augusto Vitale (General Secretary, Associazione
Primatologica Italiana, API); Claude Pisani (Societè Francophone de
Primatologie, SFdP, in substitution of Betrand Deputte, Treasurer); Robert
Barton (Primate Society of Great Britain, PSGB); Marina Butovskaya (Russian
Group of Primatologists, RGP); Peter Heidt (The Netherlands Contact Group, NCG,
in substitution of Liz Sterck); Maria Victoria Hernandez-Lloreda (Asociacion
Primatologica Espanola, APE, in substitution of Fernando Colmenares); Natasha
Mendes (Portuguese Association of Primatology, PAP, in substitution of Catarina
Casanova); Carel Van Schaik (Swiss Group of Primatologists, SGP), Regine
Vercateuren (Groupe Belge de Primatologie, GBP). Marina Vancatova
(Primatological Group of Czech Republic, PGCR) is absent.
1) President's
Report
The President (Peter Kappeler) introduces the meeting pointing out that
the two most important issues to be discussed are the election of new positions within the Board, and the
choice for the location of the second EFP congress. He reminds the Board that
at the last Board meeting in Turin (August 2004) it was decided to alternate
International Primatological Society/EFP congress during the next years. Peter
Kappeler acknowledges the new presence of Portugal within the Board.
Furthermore, he thanks Karger Publishing that has donated a total of 1000Euros
prizes for the best student and poster presentations at the present
congress.
2) Secretary’s Report
The General Secretary (Augusto Vitale) salutes the presence of Portugal
within the Board, and saves his contributions for the following points in the
agenda.
3) Treasurer’s Report
Due to the absence of Bertrand Deputte, the official Treasurer of EFP,
the discussion on the EFP finances is limited. However, the Board arises some
questions regarding the financial
reports for 2004 and 2005 (see Appendix I and II) provided by Bertrand
Deputte just before the congress. […]
Robert Barton asks what could be done with the active balance of
3000Euros. Peter Kappeler explains that in the past such money was utilised to
contribute to travel expenses of some members of the Board. Now this is not
anymore. So, it is up to the new Board to decide the best way to spend such
amount of money. Carel Van Schaik suggests to spend the money in a way that
should be both stimulating and representative, for example, by inviting an
important speaker from abroad (USA, Japan…) to the forthcoming EFP congress.
Robert Barton then argues in favour of an initiative more orientated towards
the young like, for example, financing a students’ workshop within the worjs of
the congress.
4) Election of
new positions within the Board
New positions within the Board have to be elected: The President, the
General Secretary and the Treasurer. Peter Kappeler suggests Carel Van Schaik
as the new President of EFP. Robert Burton supports the suggestion, adding the
advantage of having a President from a small national group, in order to avoid
conflict of interests. Carel Van Schaik, as a relatively newcomer, asks about
the function and aims of the federation. Different Board members replies underlining
the function of EFP in trying to bring together European primatologists,
improve the communication within and between different national groups and
societies, to be actively involved in the up-dating of the European law on
animal experimentation, with special reference to the use of non-human
primates. Furthermore, from so on the Federation will now be organising the
biennial EFP congress, as a way to bring together European primatologists,
especially the younger generations.
Peter Kappeler proposes the idea, already put forward in Turin that, in
general, the new president of EFP should be the organiser of the next EFP
congress. Robert Burton disagrees, arguing that two years is just too much of a
short time to be in office as President of the EFP and, furthermore, that the
new President of the EFP should be elected by the Board. Claude Pisani suggests
a period of four-years rotation. Regine Vercauteren points out to the Board
that the Constitution of the Federation states that the President is in office
for two years, to be re-elected, whereas the General Secretary is in office for
four years. Everybody agree on the fact that whoever is elected as President
should be willing to be re-elected for other two years.
Carel Van Schaik is unanimously elected as the new President of the EFP.
He accepts the decision of the Board.
Augusto Vitale is re-elected as General Secretary. He accepts the
decision of the Board. It is agreed that the General Secretary of EFP sits in
the International Primatological Society Board.
For what concerns the election of the new Treasurer of EFP, Robert
Barton suggests to ask Russell Hill, already Treasurer of the Primatological
Society of Great Britain. The Board unanimously agrees (Russell Hill will later
accept the invitation from the Board).
5) Time and place
of the second EFP congress
Two are the proposals to host the 2nd EFP congress. The first one was
already announced, and comes from Marina Vancatova (PGCR) who has offered
Prague as location for the congress. The second one is from Catarina Casanova
(PAP), to host the congress in Lisbon. However, Natasha Mendes notices that the
PAP is having great financial difficulties in organising congresses. Marina
Butovskaya informs the Board that Marina Vancatova has already contacted the
Winner-Gray Foundation for possible financial support for the congress, with
good perspectives. Furthermore she adds, on behalf of Marina Vancatova, that
Prague University facilities can logistically sponsor the event, and there are
enthusiastic students who can help to organise the congress. The town offers
cheap hotels. Carl Van Schaik supports the idea of having amateurs to run a
congress, rather than professionals, in order to keep the fees down and attract
students.
Peter Kappeler acknowledges the offer from Lisbon, and thanks the member
from PAP. However, considered the previous offer from PGCR, and the
difficulties encountered by PAP, it is unanimously decided to accept the offer
from the Czech primatologists. This decision will be officially announced
before the ending of the present congress. Robert Barton proposes to ask Marina
Vancatova if she would like, within the congress, to organise something related
to the field of physical anthropology: this would also attract more people to
the congress.
For what concerns the dates it is suggested that Summer could be the
best moment, because university facilities are empty and not in use. However,
it is also the time of fieldwork for many researchers. Marina Butovskaya
suggests to ask Marina what could be the best timing for the Prague congress.
The Board decides on a window of dates, and the then let decide Marina
Vancatova: the time window decided is July-August.
It is then proposed Zurich as the possible location for the 3rd
EFP congress in 2009. Peter Kappeler underlines the necessity to give a signal
of continuity: whatever will be the response for the 2nd congress,
we are ready to organise the 3rd one. The Board vote unanimously in
favour of Zurich as location for the 3rd congress in 2009.
Finally, Peter Kappeler suggests for the next time a formal
presentation, with estimated costs and date options, for the proposed location
of the EFP congress.
6) Relationships
with Folia primatologica
Augusto Vitale raises the question about the willingness of Folia
primatologica to publish the abstracts from the national congresses. He
reports that the organiser of the lat API congress has received news from Folia
that this opportunity might not longer be possible in the future. Peter
Kappeler responds that nothing has changed, and Folia has to publish the
abstracts from national congresses of associations or groups affiliated with
EFP.
7) The state of the art of the European
legislation/national on the use of primates in biomedical experimentation
Augusto Vitale reports that the EFP has been present since the earliest
stages of the revision of both the
Directive 86/609/EEC on the protection of laboratory animals used for
experimental and other scientific purposes, and the Appendix A of the ETS123
Convention of the Council of Europe. Bertrand Deputte was involved for years in
such process. Recently, concerning the revision of the Directive 86/609/EEC, a
representative from EFP participated to the works of the Technical Expert
Working Groups (TEWG), devoted on the revision of particular sections of the
Directive. The representative for the EFP was Dr. Mark Prescott.
8) EFP Web page
The EFP web page is cared for by Dr. Daniele Formenti, from the API. It
will be asked to organise a link from the EFP web page to the local page for
the coming EFP congress in Prague. Furthermore, the possibility to have a link
from the EFP page to information on courses in primatology in European
universities will be investigated.
9) Possible
initiatives for EU funding
Regarding the 7th Framework for European funding, Peter
Kappeler proposes that EFP can have the function of alerting people about
opportunities, and just left the space open for individual initiatives. The
Board agrees.
The Board thanks Peter Kappeler for the work carried out as President of
the European Federation of Primatology.
The meeting ends at 21.15.