This March, at the General Assembly meeting, I will stand down as President of the EBMT and transfer the gavel of office to my friend and colleague, Dietger Niederwieser. The past four years have been a happy and productive time for EBMT and I have been honoured to be part of this exciting period.

Reflecting back over this period I believe that one of the most critical decisions we have made has been to establish ourselves as a pan-European prospective clinical trials group.

The EU Directive on Clinical Trials has changed all our lives, not necessarily for the better. Stem cell transplant has always been on the cutting edge of clinical medicine and we could not sit back and witness a decline in our ability to progress our field because of an increase in bureaucracy. Through the Prospective Clinical Trials Committee (PCTC) we have established the principles and the infrastructure for multi-national studies and with Zoë Doran and Kim Champion now in place to lead our Clinical Trials team, EBMT trial activity will increase in quality and quantity. We could not have come this far without strong support from our corporate members and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Amgen and Gilead in particular for their advice throughout this transition period.

When I accepted the Presidency in 2002 I was aware that the next few years would be a critical time for the introduction and acceptance of the JACIE accreditation system. I was even a little concerned that I would forever be associated with the ‘Regulatory Period' of the EBMT. However with the hard work and dedication of the Accreditation Sub-Committee, ably led by Alvaro Urbano-Ispizua and the outstanding support of Eoin Mc Grath, Diana Samson, Ineke Slaper-Cortenbach, Derwood Pamphillon, Sarah Craig and Fiona Mc Donald, JACIE has gained momentum and firmly established itself as an aspirational standard for all transplant units.

Also during this time, Europe got bigger, at least administratively. In 2004 an additional ten states joined the EU and within the EBMT we welcomed new friends and colleagues from these and other central European countries. I have been fortunate enough to be invited to several of these new transplant centres and to witness first-hand the excellent clinical care provide in less fortunate financial circumstances.

Our outreach programme has strengthened over these years and 2006 will see the start of an exchange system to help develop new skills in all aspects of transplantation. The outstanding success of the Prague meeting was a testament to the potential of a united Europe.

And talking of Prague, how can I sign off without mentioning the annual meetings? They have not been without their interesting moments but the sight of the sunlight over the Bosphorus made up for all the trials and tribulations of 2003. I want to thank all our members for their enormous support during that difficult time and also Astrid Dietschi, Kurt Hadener and their colleagues from AKM who pulled off an excellent meeting. We cannot ignore on-going political difficulties but the collaborations and friendships made in our professional setting lead to a better understanding of different nations, religions and cultures and remind us that education is the basis for all our futures.

Finally I want to thank my colleagues in EBMT who have supported me so well over the past four years. First you the members, who put me in the envious position of leading this great society, participated in the Working Parties, adapted to ProMISe and continued to send your data when I have no doubt you had other priorities. The sub-committee Chairs have carried out their activities, particularly in accreditation and education with enthusiasm and talent. The members of the Board have changed from time to time but every one of them contributed enormously to the Organisation through the Working Parties and by their invaluable input into the Board meetings. The posts of Secretary and Treasurer have been occupied in recent years by Per Ljungman and Harry Schouten respectively. Their incredible efficiency and calmness have been a marked contrast to my own rather chaotic working habits and I am deeply appreciative of their good counsel.

Carmen Ruiz, Ronald Brand and our amazing team of data managers and statisticians have created a highly efficient system which constantly achieves beyond its theoretical capabilities. Alois Gratwohl and Helen Baldomero have established a health-economics and therefore a political role for the EBMT in Europe, which I am sure Dietger will develop further in the next few years. And last but not least, without Fiona McDonald and the Barcelona team I would have been completely lost. The whole of the EBMT have come to appreciate the phenomenal dedication of Fiona who in a very short time has come to understand the vagaries of EBMT better than any of us and has guided me gently and efficiently during my apprenticeship.

In Dietger, Per, Harry, Fiona and our current Board I leave you in good hands. Good luck and good-bye.

Jane Apperley
President
j.apperley@imperial.ac.uk