The European Association of Urology (EAU) is a pure scientific organisation and has the following mission statement.
- To act as the representative body for all European urologists and thus facilitate the continuous development of urology and all its subspecialties
- To foster and proliferate the highest standards of urological care throughout Europe
- To encourage urological research and enable the broadcasting of its results
- To promote contributions to the medical and scientific literature by its members
- To promote European urological achievements in Europe and worldwide
- To establish standards for training and European urological practice
- To contribute to the determination of European urological healthcare policies.
From this mission statement it is clear that the EAU has major scientific responsibilities, which are reflected in its organisation and programmes.
EAU overview
The organisation of the EAU consists of an Executive Office and a Board. The Executive Office is chaired by the Secretary General who, together with the other members of the Executive, is responsible for the implementation of all the programmes and activities decided on by the Board. An Adjunct Secretary General, a Treasurer and two managers (EAU Executive Manager Operational Affairs and EAU Executive Manager Business Affairs) assist the Secretary General.
The Operational Manager supervises and organises all operational affairs within the EAU Central Office. The Business Manager takes care of all business and economic aspects of the EAU. The Central Office is located in Arnhem in the Netherlands. The EAU Central Office has approximately 26 employees.
All of the chairmen of the different EAU offices make up the EAU Board.
EAU Scientific Office
This office, made up of a chairman and 17 board members, is responsible for the scientific organisation of the annual EAU Congress. The Congress is attended by approximately 5,500 urologists and 2,000 additional people (exhib-itors, press and staff). The scientific content of the meeting comprises a combination of invited presentations and a selection of submitted abstracts. An average of 1,600 abstracts are submitted with an acceptance rate of approximately 40%. The EAU Congress Office, located inside the EAU Central Office, takes care of the practical organisational aspects of the Congress.
EAU Educational Office: European School of Urology
This office is responsible for the educational and post-graduate programmes provided by the EAU.
The European School of Urology (ESU) organises courses for the annual EAU Congress (approximately 30), as well as courses in collaboration with the different European national urological associations (approximately 15–20 courses). The operational aspects of these courses are handled by the EAU Central Office through the administrative and organisational collaborators of the ESU.
EAU Healthcare Office
This office is also made up of a chairman and six board members and is responsible for the composition of guidelines for urological practice. The Healthcare Office provides scientific information to members on subjects such as manpower, development of diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines, cost evaluation, quality control, reimbursement issues, documentation and legal issues.
EAU Publication Office
The task of the publication office is to ensure distribution of the scientific publications of the EAU and its member organisations. The office is responsible for producing the scientific journal European Urology. Other publications, such as European Urology Today (EAU magazine), and curricula in urology (education material) are handled by the EAU Communication Office and supported at the EAU Central Office by the communications manager.
EAU Media Office
The Media Office is responsible for all the media and internet activities of the EAU, the EAU website (www.uroweb.org), educational programmes on the internet, webcasts and so on. The office is located at the EAU Central Office and is supported by a project manager at the EAU Media Office.
EAU Section Office
The aim of the EAU Section Office is to provide an infrastructure within the EAU in which urological working parties and subspecialty activities and programmes are developed. Through the EAU Section Office the EAU governs the activities of all subspecialties and working parties so that the activities are integrated into European Urology and hence are beneficial to all European urologists. The EAU Section Office has a number of participating sections, which can be divided into two categories:
1 Full Participants Subspecialty working parties integrated within the EAU, such as:
- European Society of Neuro-Urology (ESNU)
- European Society of Reconstructive Surgery (ESRUS)
- European Society of Transplantation Urology (ESTU)
- European Society of Uro-Technology (ESUT)
- European Society of Andrological Urology (ESAU)
- European Society of Female Urology (ESFU)
- European Society of Infections in Urology (ESIU)
- European Society of Oncological Urology (ESOU)
- European Society of Urological Imaging (ESUI)
- Eurolithiasis Society (EULIS).
2 Affiliated participants Independent international European urological or urology-related subspecialty organisations, which would like to closely cooperate with the EAU, such as:
- European Society for Research and Treatment of Cancer – Genitourinary Group (EORTC-GU).
- European Society for Urological Research (ESUR).
- European Society for Paediatric Urology (ESPU).
The office is made up of the chairmen and representatives of each participating society/group.
Clinical Research Office
This office is responsible for the organisation and supervision of clinical research in urology on an international basis. Close collaboration has been established with the technical and pharmaceutical industry and also with other clinical research groups, such as the EORTC-GU Group.
Strategy Planning Office
The Strategy Planning Office is responsible for the formulation of new strategies to improve and strengthen the EAU. It keeps track of all clinical and scientific factors that affect the present and future place of the specialty of urology and the position of the urology professional.
The strategies developed should guarantee the future of urology and at the same time accommodate the inevitable changes in the various fields of this specialty. Furthermore, the Strategy Planning Office formulates areas of key interest for future developments.
Membership and Nomination Office
The Membership and Nomination Office proposes candidates and prepares election and selection procedures for all official functions, as well as dealing with all membership and award matters within the EAU.
International Relations and Public Relations Office
This office serves as an advisory committee to the EAU board regarding matters related to urology in Europe and globally. It focuses on urological education and healthcare, including the study of global urological needs and proposals for dealing with them.
European Academy of Urology
The European Academy of Urology is the advising board to the EAU board and the Executive committee. Its advice can be solicited by the EAU Board or can be given unsolicited to the EAU Board. The board consists of a few individuals with extensive experience and previous responsibilities within the EAU.
The 2002 Congress
As mentioned above, the EAU organises an annual Congress. This year the Congress is taking place in Birmingham from the 23rd to the 26th of February. For the Birmingham meeting 1,600 abstracts have been submitted, of which 560 have been selected for presentation.
Apart from the abstracts sessions, each morning there will be plenary and subplenary sessions, which are composed of State of the Art Lectures, interactive debates, counterpoint discussions, keynote presentations, and so on. In the plenary sessions the most recent developments in urology are presented and discussed. As well as the plenary, subplenary and abstracts sessions, there are company- sponsored symposia scheduled at the end of each meeting day. Over the course of the three days there will be 30 ESU courses also taking place.
Approximately 5,500 urologists are expected to attend this year’s Congress, and 2,000 additional people (exhibitors, press and staff). The EAU Congress is the second largest urology Congress in the world (after the American Urological Association Congress, which gets approximately 7–8,000 delegates). The quality of the Congress is highly regarded by European and non-European Urologists who annually attend the meeting.
The EAU Congress has a special flavour as the spirits of different nationalities are brought together and the different approaches to healthcare systems and practice possibilities from across Europe are blended. Central and Eastern Europeans are anxious to participate and can obtain support from the EAU Congress support fund.
The Congress is largely supported by the EAU Corporate Sponsors (15 major pharmaceutical and technical companies) who contribute to the Congress at the highest scientific level. To ensure top scientific quality all their programmes are composed, controlled and approved by the EAU Scientific Office.
Author
Frans MJ Debruyne MD PhD
Secretary General
European Association of Urology (EAU)
W:www.uroweb.org
