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.

In the middle of October (October 15, 2000), director of Institute for Medicinal Plant Research "Dr. Josif Pančić", Belgrade (IMPR), started co-ordinated activities on the formation of AMAPSEEC on the national level. At that time Mihailo Ristić has been elected to co-ordinate these activities. Two weeks later (October 30, 2000) subjects potentially interested in the AMAPSEEC formation were supplied with working materials, dealing with this subject. These materials consisted of the Bylaws of the AMAPSEEC (accepted on June 2, 2000 in Aranđelovac) and several assumptions given by co-ordinator, as a starting base for solving some important questions for the realisation of the working subject. Simultaneously, they were asked to submit their remarks and suggestions (till November 14) to be processed and subjected for the further analysis and harmonisation at the meeting planed for November 24. The first circular has been distributed to 60 addresses. Subsequently, three weeks later (November 20) the second circular, containing (along with processed remarks and suggestions) call for the mentioned joint meeting was dispatched. Immediately after that (November 24) in the Ceremonial hall of the Faculty of Agriculture, the first joint meeting of all those being interested in the formation of AMAPSEEC has been kept. During the meeting following question were reconsidered: Analysis of the Bylaws of the Association, remarks, suggestions and perplexities and making clear determinations about that (1); Fixing list of benefits, which AMAPSEEC could offer to the potential members (2); Fixing proposals dealing with annual membership fees for regular and supporting members (3); Preparation of list of sponsors ready to support co-financing of AMAPSEEC activities, especially in the period of the foundation and immediately after that (4); Adoption of preliminary list of regular and supporting members of the AMAPSEEC from FR Yugoslavia (5); Determination of modes of participation of potential regular and supporting members in the foundation of AMAPSEEC (personal, spatial, technical, financial and every other support)(6) and Contributions to the formation of sections, commissions, working groups and committees of the Association (7). At the meeting, where at least 45 colleagues were present, several very important conclusions regarding the necessity of Bylaws redefinition and further activities have been made. However, it was not possible to achieve consensus about all details. It was concluded to finish this job by the usage of appropriate questionnaire. So, about two weeks later (December 11), the third circular consisting of the report and lists of participants from that meeting, as well as mentioned questionnaire was distributed to 65 addresses. Till the end of the year, raw data obtained through the conduction of the questionnaire were processed, resulted conclusions were incorporated in old revision of the Bylaws and the whole spectrum of information necessary for registration of AMAPSEEC by national authorities has been collected.

On the basis of conducted activities and opinions of all those colleagues, companies and institutions being interested in the AMAPSEEC foundation, IMPR (as co-ordinator of that process on the national and international level) decided to offer all necessary conditions for the formation of headquarters of the Association in Belgrade. Along with that, it was decided to come into registration procedure immediately. Subsequently, on the basis on those decisions (resulting from the meeting kept on January 11, 2001), registration of AMAPSEEC by relevant authorities was finished at February 23, 2001. Managing body of AMAPSEEC was formed ad hoc, as temporary solution, with the primary task to.comanise Member's meeting, where the election of representatives for Executive Council, Advisory Board and Board of Directors would be accomplished.

After the registration of the Association, on April 16, 2001, information about the formation of the AMAPSEEC and call into membership, and new, the second revision of Bylaws of the Association were distributed to potential members. Approximately to months later (on June 15), call for the first Member's meeting of the Association was distributed, enabling to all those being interested in it, to prepare themselves and to participate. The first Member's meeting was kept on June 26, in Belgrade, where the agreement about several subjects, very important for the future of the Association had been achieved. Nevertheless to the several very important conclusions, which could be occurred in the Record from the first Member's meeting, because of number of circumstances, activities of working bodies of the Association and their members, during the summer period were rather modest.

The second (extraordinary) Member's meeting, was held on October 17, in the frame of the Seventh Manifestation "Days of Medicinal Plants",.comanised by Institute for Medicinal Plant Research "Dr. Josif Pančić" (Belgrade). Record from the second Member's meeting, contains data describing the actual situation in the Association, as well as the its current activities. More then ever earlier, activities on providing additional funds, necessary for improvement of AMAPSEEC's financial base, are required. This action should be focused to providing additional funds for free exchange of regional professionals, financing of our regional journal and financing of our the second Conference.