Central Club of Yugoslav Army, Belgrade, Braće Jugovića 21, Universal Hall, October 17, 2001, 18 h

1. Report about activities of the AMAPSEEC, Executive Council and Board of Directors in the period between the first and the second Member's Meeting, in the context of conclusions adopted on the first Member's Meeting of the Association.

2. On the membership and available funds of the Association.

3. Information about the.comanisation of the second Conference on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Southeast European Countries (II CMAPSEEC), which will be kept next year in Greece.

Ad 1. Activities of the Association and its managing bodies (Executive Council, Advisory Board and Board of Directors) in mentioned period were rather modest. First of all, because of summer holidays, which started just after the first Member's meeting, and later on because of longer absence of certain Executive Council members. With the exception of preparation and distribution of the record from the first Member's meeting, Executive Council was engaged in the preparation of financial report for local authorities, acquisition of new members an preparation of Internet presentation of the Association, as well as in the other activities being in the frame of work of Board of Directors.

Presentation of the Association, however, is still inactive. Main reason for lack of results could be very weak response of members in giving required contributions. Subsequently, members are kindly requested to supply Executive Council with all data necessary for the preparation of the mentioned presentation. Zora Dajić underlined that further delay in the set up of AMAPSEEC's Internet presentation could be extremely harmful for the upcoming activities of our Association, what must be avoided at any cost. Executive council has accepted to create mentioned presentation and make it active on Internet in next two weeks.

Acting according to principle decision of the first Member's meeting, about the formation of new journal, Executive Council and Board of Directors have been decided to nominate following members into Editorial Board of that journal: Roberto Della Loggia (Italy), Ivan Salamon (Slovakia), Janko Rode (Slovenia), Imre Mathe (Hungary), Carmen Socaciu (Romania), Tatyana Stoeva (Bulgaria), Maria Couladis (Greece) and Neda Mimica-Dukić (Yugoslavia). Upon acceptance, their will be in charge to prepare data necessary for the conduction of decision on the formation of the journal (resulting from the first Member's meeting), to elect (among them) editor-in chief of the journal and to inform mentioned managing bodies about that.

Activities on providing additional funds, necessary for improvement of AMAPSEEC's financial base, were also modest, giving no noticeable progress in mentioned sense. Subsequently, our activities must be much more concrete in the future. Action should be focused to providing additional funds for free exchange of regional professionals (1), financing of regional journal (2), and financing of our the second Conference (3).

Board of Directors adopted principle decision about the formation of Training centre for MAP's in Sofia. Final decision about that Board of Directors will make after receiving additional information from proposer. Requested information's are: mode of.comanising, working program (roughly), mode of plugging of regional specialists in the activities of the Centre, human and financial base and requirements for anticipated activities.

Board of Directors has decided about formation of six working sections of the Association: for the study and rational use of natural resources of MAPs (including accompanied legislation) (1), for development of analytical methods and standardisation of the quality of herbal drugs, extracts and essential oils (2), for introduction in the culture, cultivation and breeding of MAPs (3), for phytotherapy (4), for technology of processing MAPs (5), and for educational programs in the fields of MAPs (6). In that sense, obligation of national co-ordinators is to suggest one specialist from their country, which will co-ordinate further work of each of mentioned sections, for each section. Upon mutual consultation, each group of specialists will elect president for their section. After that, members of the Association would be in position to join to the certain section, according to their will (what could be done through the questionnaire).

Ad. 2. According to the treasurer's records, until July 24, 2001, AMAPSEEC counted 73 members – 3 supporting and 70 regular members, but only all supporting and 39 regular members have been paid membership fee. In that time, on the basis of accomplished payments of membership fees, sum of 450 DEM and 36.900 dinars (equal to 1230 DEM) have been acquired. Till the second (extraordinary) Membership's meeting, additional payments of membership fees for one supporting member and 2 regular members, as well as 14 new regular members have been accomplished. Subsequently, Association consists of 87 members, 4 supporting and 83 regular members. All supporting members already paid membership fee, as well as 55 regular members. Twenty-eight regular members did not pay until now. Available funds of the Association consist of 47.100 dinars and 730 DEM (equivalent to 2300 DEM in whole). None of that fund has been spent. Payment of membership fee debts should be in the focus of the Executive Council in the upcoming period, to enable making clear list of our members, needed for our further activities.

Ad. 3. The information about the progress in preparation of the Second Conference on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Southeast European Countries (II CMAPSEEC, Greece, 2002), has been given by Prof. Maria Couladis, from the School of Pharmacy, University of Athens, who presented the first announcement and call for papers for this Meeting (the First Circular). Invitation is addressed to all researchers working in the field of MAPs. They are cordially invited to participate in the Second Conference, which will be kept from September 29, till October 3, 2002 in Northern Greece, in Chalkidiki, at Hotel Athos, where all conditions for keeping of such conferences are already provided. Call for papers is addressed to all those interested to prepare short lectures (15 minutes) and posters related to the Conference topics, while the contributions from other fields of MAPs and natural products will also be welcomed. Scientific topics of the Conference will be: biodiversity, conservation and sustainable use of biological resources; breeding, seed production and cultivation of MAPs; ethnobotany and ethnomedicine; targeted drug screening approaches; phytochemistry, isolation and synthesis of natural products; pharmacology and toxicology; industrial processing and economic aspects. Official language of the Conference will be English. Preliminary program, as well as registration and accommodation forms, will be sent with the second announcement. During the Conference commercial exhibition will be.comanised, representing unique opportunity for companies to promote their products and activities in the field of MAPs. Financial support of companies to the Conference will be welcomed. Potential sponsors are kindly asked to contact Conference.comanisers. Along with Conference, rich social program will be offered to participants and their accompanying persons (see 2^nd announcement).

Leadership in the.comanisation of the Second Conference on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Southeast European Countries (II CMAPSEEC), which is official meeting of the Association for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Southeast European Countries (AMAPSEEC), has been given to Prof. Maria Couladis and Prof. Vassilios Roussis, from the Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, University of Athens. Under their supervision, as well as supervision of the AMAPSEEC, four working committees were formed with the aim to facilitate conduction of the all activities at the Second Conference. Members of these committees are: G. Appendino (Italy), K.H.C.Baser (Turkey), P. Cordopatis (Greece), M. Dida (Albania), E. Genova (Bulgaria), P. Hajopoulos (Greece), C. Harvala (Greece), Ch. Hassiotis (Greece), V. Heywood (United Kingdom), S. Kokini (Greece), N. Kovačević (Yugoslavia), A. Loukis (Greece), M. Martinov (Yugoslavia), I. Máthé (Hungary), S. Milosavljević (Yugoslavia), M. Polysiou (Greece), D. Radanović (Yugoslavia), I. Salamon (Slovakia), L.A. Skaltsounis (Greece), Ch. Souleses (Greece) and E. Verykokidou (Greece) (Scientific Committee), D. Baričevič (Slovenia), I. Chinou (Greece), F. Dermitci (Turkey), R. Jančić (Yugoslavia), S. Kintzios (Greece), E. Kokalou (Greece), N. Mimica-Dukić (Yugoslavia), P. Petrakis (Greece), H. Skaltsa (Greece), O. Tzakou (Greece), C. Vagias (Greece) and D. Vokou (Greece) (Organising Committee), C. Demetzos (Greece), J. Kišgeci (Yugoslavia), S. Kulevanova (FYROM), S. Mitakou (Greece), M. Ristić (Yugoslavia), T. Stoeva (Bulgaria), E. Tsitsa (Greece) (Program Committee) and D. Adamović (Yugoslavia), L. Boskos (Greece), Z. Dajić (Yugoslavia), C. Harvala (Greece), T. Nastovski (Yugoslavia), S. Nikolov (Bulgaria) and G. Papaionnou (Greece) (Executive Committee).

Local Organising Committee has transferred technical.comanisation of the Conference to the agency Sun & See, Travel & Conference Services, which.comanised distribution of the first announcement, containing call for papers and preliminary registration form. Potential participants are kindly asked to fill their names, names of their institution (companies), addresses, phone and fax numbers, e-mail addresses, and to answer if they intend to submit contribution, to submit tentative title, to determine themselves about the preferred mode of the presentation (oral or poster), and to send these data to the agency till December 15, 2001 [address: Sun & Sea Travel and Conference Services (for the II CMAPSEEC), Despina Vouga, Sinopis 29, Athens GR 115 27, Greece; phone: (+3010) 7799-261; fax: (+3010) 7711-768; e-mail: sunsea@galileo.gr; Internet site: www.sunandseaonline.com]. Such way they will be included in the mailing list, which will be used in distribution of further announcements, dealing with the Second Conference. Simultaneously, all information concerning scientific aspects should be addressed to Prof. Maria Couladis or Prof. Vassilios Roussis, to Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, Athens 157 71, Greece [fax: (+3010) 7274-592; e-mail: kouladi@pharm.uoa.gr and roussis@pharm.uoa.gr].

In open discussion, which followed report of Prof. Couladis, questions dealing with the price of registration fee and possible discounts, which could be granted to participants being the members of the AMAPSEEC, were considered. Prof. Couladis expressed her attitude that certain discount for AMAPSEEC's members will be surely given. However, rather modest interest of potential sponsors could be resulted with high price of registration expenses, which can seriously decrease number of participants. Subsequently, only much more significant sponsorship could decrease these fees to reasonable level, which will be acceptable for majority of potential participants from regional and surroundings countries. Appropriate action of working committees of the Second Conference, as well as managing bodies of the AMAPSEEC, in that sense, is urgently expected.

Belgrade, October 17, 2001