Introductory notes

In Arandjelovac (FR Yugoslavia), from May 29 till the June 3, First Conference on Medicinal and aromatic Plants of Southeast European Countries has took place. Initiative to keep that Conference has been given by several colleagues from the Institute for Medicinal Plant Research "Dr. Josif Pančić" (Belgrade) and supported on the V Meeting "Days of Medicinal Plants" that was kept from September 14-19, 1998 in Banja Koviljača from the side of all participants from FR Yugoslavia and abroad. In conclusions from that Meeting was stated that "...In Banja Koviljača (FR Yugoslavia), two meetings were held on September 15^th, and 16^th, 1998, .comanised by the Institute for Medicinal Plant Research "Dr Josif Pančić" (IMPR), Belgrade. These meetings were .comanised with regard to the initiative to.comanise the First Conference on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Southeast European Countries, postulated by several colleagues from the IMPR, Belgrade. At the meeting of the Initiative committee for the foundation of the First conference on medicinal plants of Southeast European countries, there were 33 participants in the whole, where 19 of them were from Yugoslavia...All participants of the meetings have reached consensus on following... The proposed idea to.comanise a Regional Association of the scientist and professionals working with aromatic and medicinal was accept too."

Starting from these conclusions Organiser of the First Conference anticipated to held on this meeting, among the others, two sessions dedicated exclusively to the foundation of the Association of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Southeast European Countries. Of course, to these meetings certain preparation have been proceeded, consisting of draft proposal of the Bylaws of the association (prepared by Organiser), harmonisation of attitudes toward several controversial paragraphs and fixing details about the mode of meetings moderation. In that sense Organiser conducted questionnaire on whose base it would be possible to decide if inaugural meetings of AMAPSEEC' s foundation should be kept open for members of all working bodies of the first CMAPSEEC only (or for all participants in the first CMAPSEEC), if draft proposal of AMAPSEEC's Bylaws is quite acceptable (unacceptable, or partially acceptable), where headquarter of AMAPSEEC should be located, what could be better name for our association, on which level to estimate annual membership fees for regular and supporting members and how many such members could be expected from each of the countries interested in the formation of the AMAPSEEC.

The base of Bylaws draft proposal has extracted from the Society for Medicinal Plant Research (former GA). On this model, adapted to the conditions of our Region (SEE), our Bylaws has prepared, whose main characteristics are shortness (5 pages, 12 paragraphs) and that according to that Association would be multi-professional, non-governmental and non-profitable .comanisation, having clearly defined goal and structure.

During the First Conference kept in Arandjelovac, the first initiative meeting dedicated to the formation of the AMAPSEEC has been kept on May 30. Meeting has been open for everyone interested in it and attended by lot of participants. In introductory address, Organiser summarised activities done about formation of AMAPSEEC, as well as results of questionnaire conducted among the members of all working bodies of the First CMAPSEEC. According to results of this questionnaire, draft proposal of the AMAPSEEC's Bylaws is completely acceptable, its headquarters should be situated in Belgrade, registration fees for regular members should be set to 30 DM and that for supporting members to 300 DM. Majority considered name Association of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Southeast European Countries (AMAPSEEC) appropriate, although there were other proposals too. After such one summary, discussion has been opened for all, but without any more significant result, simply because majority of present colleagues did not read the text of draft proposal of the Bylaws of AMAPSEEC. From this reason, it was decided to hang up a poster with appropriate text to inform everyone and to delay adoption for the second initiative meeting. One of the more interested questions opened at that meeting was that put from the side of professor Máthé, about geographical borders of the Region.

The second initiative meeting was kept on the June 2, and contrary to the first one did not attract particular attention of the participants of the First Conference. Nevertheless, very important conclusions have been accepted. The most important one is that draft proposal of the Bylaws of AMAPSEEC was fully accepted. Furthermore, it was decided to set up the headquarters of AMAPSEEC in Belgrade. Simultaneously, IMPR "Dr. Josif Pančić" (Belgrade) has been chosen to co-ordinate foundation of the AMAPSEEC.