MEETING OF THE ESC COUNCIL
Thursday, September 5, 2002

1. Presence of a quorum

Entitled to participate:

Titular Members (39), Observers (2), and Executive Committee members (14) for a total of 48 votes.

2000-2002

Executive: L Mendes Victor, C Eva, D Giardini, P Suhadolc, A B Walker, K Makropoulos, A Shapira, C-I Trifu, J Mechie, J Zschau, D Slejko, A Ansal, C Browitt, B Dost (members who are present in bold).

P Suhadolc ascertains the presence of the quorum. 34 members of the Council out of 48 are present and no observer.

2. Appointment of the Election Chairman and tellers

Soren Gregersen is proposed as Election Chairman, Antoni Roca Androver and Peter Readman as tellers. The proposal is approved.

3. Next ESC General Assemblies

P Suhadolc informs the Council that the candidature of the University of Vienna to organise the 29th General Assembly in Vienna in 2004 has been withdrawn due to several early retirements. An unofficial invitation has been received by the ESC Bureau for the organisation of the XXIX ESC General Assembly in the year 2004 from the GFZ Potsdam.

Jochen Zschau formally makes the invitation to the Council and outlined the situation in which the assembly would be held, the wider environment and the historical context of the city. No other candidatures are raised from the floor.

There being no objections to a public vote, the nomination was carried unanimously by a show of hands; 34 votes in favour, 0 against and 0 abstentions. Contact person J Zschau.

In response to a request from P Suhadolc, J Zschau thanks the Council approving this candidature and invites all ESC members to attend the ESC Potsdam Assembly. The date will be the decided and posted on the ESC web page.

The 2004 ESC General Assembly will be, therefore, organised by the GFZ Potsdam. Contact person: J Zschau.

P Suhadolc asks the floor if there are any candidatures for the General Assemblies after 2004.

For 2006, K Makropoulous proposed Athens. D Giardini spoke in favour of a joint meeting between the ESC and the EAEE in Geneva provided agreement is reached at the EAEE conference in London next week. A Ansal confrimed that, at present, the engineers had an offer of only one candidate , Geneva. D Giardini’s offer is dependent on confirmation of the Geneva venue by the engineers and their agreement to host a joint conference. P Suhadolc requested a mandate from the ESC Council to accept the Swiss offer as the Greek offer is made witht he caveat that it would be withdrawn if the engineers confirm Geneva. Should that not happen, the Athens offer could be brought back for a final decision in Potsdam. In response to a query from A Shapira, P Suhadolc emphasised that only the venue would be common; both the engineers and seismologists would run their own conferences side-by-side but with free access to each others sessions. It was hoped some joint sessions might also be organised. The fees for the ESC delegates would be at a traditional level. On a vote to mandate the Bureau to send the appropriate letter to the EAEE secretary general, there were 33 in favour, 1 abs. and 0 against.

4. Elections

The Election Chairman S Gregersen takes over the presidency and asks the Nominating Committee to present the candidates for the Bureau in sequential order. He asks the Council if they have any objections to a show of hands. No objections were raised from the floor.

The President of the Nominating Committee O Kulhanek presents the candidates in sequential order.

Results of the elections:

- Bureau:

President:  C Eva is presented as candidate. No further candidates are raised from the floor. Election is carried out by show of hands. C Eva is elected (votes:  33  yes, 0 no,  1 abs.)

Vice-Presidents: For the first of the two Vice-presidents J Zschau is presented. No further candidates are raised from the floor. Election is carried out by show of hands. J Zschau is elected (votes: 34 yes,  0 no,  0 abs.)

For the second of the two Vice-presidents B Feignier is presented. No further candidates are raised from the floor. Election is carried out by show of hands  B Feignier is elected (votes: 34 yes,  0 no, 0 abs

Secretary General: M Garcia Fernadez is presented as candidate.

No further candidates are raised from the floor. Election is carried out by show of hands. M Garcia Fernadez is elected by show of hands (votes: 34  yes,     0 no, 0 abs.) 

Assistant Secretary: A B Walker is presented as candidate. No further candidates are raised from the floor. Election is carried out by show of hands. A B Walker is reelected by show of hands (votes: 33 yes, 0 no, 1 abs.)

-Subcommissions

SC-A: M Stucchi is presented as candidate. No further candidates  are raised from the floor. Election is carried out by show of hands (votes: 34 yes, 0 no,     0 abs.) M Stucchi is elected.

SC-B:   A Shapira is presented as candidate. No further candidates are raised from the floor. Election is carried out by show of hands (votes:  34 yes,  0 no,     0 abs.). A Shapira is elected.

SC-C: C-I Trifu is presented as candidate. No further candidates are raised from the floor. Election is carried out by show of hands (votes:  34 yes,  0 no,     0 abs.). C-I Trifu is elected.

SC-D: M Grad is presented as candidate. No further candidates are raised from the floor. Election is carried out by show of hands (votes:  34 yes,  0 no,     0 abs.).  M Grad is elected.

SC-E:   G Papadopoulos is presented as candidate. No further candidates are raised from the floor. Election is carried out by show of hands (votes: 34 yes,     0 no, 0 abs.).             G Papadopoulos is elected.

SC-F:    R Musson  is presented as candidate. No further candidates are raised from the floor. Election is carried out by show of hands (votes: 34 yes,  0 no,     0 abs.). R Musson  is elected.

Before the election of each new subcommission chairperson, the subcommission chairpersons reported changes in their sub-commissions.

P Suhadolc reports that the Bureau and the Executive have received the report of the Preliminary Organising Committee (POC) for FITESC, which proved that the establishment of FITESC is not only feasable but also desirable in many fields of seismology. The Executive proposes to the Council that FITESC be granted subcommission status.

After a thorough discussion into which D Giardini, K Atakan, A Deschamps, K Makropoulos and C Browitt participated, the Council approved the establishment of a new subcommission with the title “Rapid Intervention Field Investigation Teams – FITESC”.

I Cecic is proposed as candidate for chairperson.

No further candidates are raised from the floor. Election is carried out by show of hands ( 33 yes,  0 no,  1 abs.). I Cecic is elected.

P Suhadolc also reports that following the successful special symposium on Earthquake Preparadness, a new WG is proposed with the title “Earthquake Preparedness and Civil Defense” and suggested that subcommission F considers its inclusion in its subcommission. D Slejko confirmed that he had talked to the members of the Subcommission Bureau and they had agreed to include this working group within the subcommission.

5. Titular Members

The Bureau then proposes the confirmation of Titular Members appointed by their respective countries. P Suhadolc reports that he has  received official letters of appointment for Titular members of Bulgaria, Ireland, Poland and Slovenia. The Bureau proposes to the Council that Attia El-Sayed is appointed Titular member for Egypt, pending its approval by the Egyptian National Committee for IUGG.

P Suhadolc reads the names of the proposed Titular members and points out to the Council the newly appointed ones: B Ranguelov, Attia El-Sayed,  P Readman, A Shapira, S Gibowicz and P Zupancic.

P Suhadolc also reports that he has just received a formal letter from prof. H Gashut of the Libyan Center for Remote Sensing and Space Science  with which Libya requests membership in ESC and proposes R Bakbak as temporary representative. Since Libya IUGG/IASPEI membership is still pending, the ESC Bureau proposes to the Council to grant Libya  observatory status, until their formal IUGG/IASPEI membership is approved.

The Council is in favour of this decision and welcomes Libya as observer in the ESC.

The Council, unanimously, approves the following list of Titular Members for the Administrative period 2002-2004:

TITULAR MEMBERS 2002-2004

6.  Resolutions

Each resolution, as obtained from the Resolution Committee, is presented by P Suhadolc. With minor amendments the following resolutions have been adopted.

NERIES Endorsement

Recognising

The rapidly developing collaboration between EMSC and ORFEUS and the complementary roles of  the two organisations in serving the ESC seismological community, the public and civil protection authorities,

The ESC endorses

the joint ORFEUS-EMSC strategy paper NERIES (Network of excellence of research  and infrastructures for European seismology) in order to stimulate interest in our underpinning infrastructures.

Rapid Intervention FITESC

Considering

The establishment of a new subcommission on Rapid Intervention Field Investigation Teams of the ESC (FITESC)

ESC Recommends

all European and Mediterannean countries to co-operate with the FITESC Team, and support and give all possible assistance to FITESC members following the occurence of a damaging earthquake in the European-Mediterannean region

Collaboration

with North Africa and Near East countries

Realising

the importance of closer links between European and North African, as well as Near East countries in the field of seismology

The ESC resolves

-  to take appropriate actions in seeking opportunities for better integration of research groups and individual scientists of North African and Near East countries in future ESC activities (assemblies)

-   to promote common projects between European, North African and Near East countries.

Thanks

Acknowledging

the hard work and warm welcome of the Local Organising Committee in arranging the XXVIII General Assembly of the ESC in Genoa, and noting the success of the sessions, and fruitful outcomes of many meetings and debates, the ESC Council

Thanks

the LOC for all their efforts and expertise in organising such a successful and memorable occasion in all respects: the quality of the facilities, excellent social programme and a special focus for this anniversary, the 50th of the ESC.

8.  Discussion

B Dost  noted that the ORFEUS and EMSC co-ordinating group found there was a need to renew its Joint Scientific Advisory Board. P Suhadolc responded by proposing that the EMSC-ORFEUS bring forward prospective candidates to the Bureau. He proposed to the Council to mandate the ESC Bureau to do the nominations. The Council approved unanimously.

A Walker reported that she had received extremely positive feedback from the students about the Young Seismologist Training Course (YSTC). She thanked the organisers, K Klinge, K Stammler and D Storchak, for their efforts and also IASPEI for funding the course. She also reported that in future courses, all applicants that are young in age or young in experience could participate and that there would not be an age limit applied. She asked the Council to applaud the efforts of the course organisers. She announced that the next YSTC would take place in Potsdam in 2004 and that she had received an offer from G Bock and K Klinge to organise the YSTC on “Digital Data  Analysis and Moment Tensor Determination”.

D Giardini drew attention to the new seismic hazard map of Europe which is in a final draft form and which should be printed and widely distributed inb October. He continued by presenting a proposal that the ESC conducts an assessment of its mandate and procedures together with a vision for the future.

P Suhadolc took on board this suggestion, as there were no comments from the floor, agreeing that the Bureau will find a way to pursue it.

P Suhadolc expressed his thanks for the warm support he has experienced over his ten years as secretary general and wished his sucessor, the Bureau and its members best wishes for the future.

L Mendes Victor on standing down as President thanked his team and all delegates, wishing ESC well for the future.