In this, my opening Newsletter for 2005, it gives me the greatest pleasure to offer all the readers of “Cardiology in the Young” my very best wishes for the coming year, and to couple with these wishes the same sentiments from all my colleagues in the Council of the Association! We all hope that this New Year, which started no more than a few weeks ago, will provide you all with satisfaction, success, joy and good health! We also hope that peace will be soon be possible all over the world, and that we will proceed with understanding and respect, if not with love for each other, then at least with a willingness to help and not to compete and suppress each other!

The coming year will bring important changes for the Association for European Paediatric Cardiology: In accordance with the votes cast by our members during 2004, “Cardiology in the Young” has now become the official Journal of the society. We hope that this will permit us to reach more frequently, with news and suggestions, through these Newsletters, all of you who are members of the Association. We will hope to include a Newsletter in each issue of the Journal. At the same time, we will use this forum to share our news with those who, as yet, are not members. We also hope that all who now begin to receive the Journal for the first time will enjoy the excellent publications concerning cardiac and related problems, not only in our young and growing patients, but also in the growing number of adults now affected by congenital cardiac malformations. The Association for European Paediatric Cardiology will, in addition, use the pages of the journal to facilitate the publication of important scientific communications which have been delivered during the annual general meeting of the society, and also with new recommendations from our working groups.

Your personal contributions, of course, have always been welcomed in “Cardiology in the Young”. These contributions will continue to be submitted for peer review, and for subsequent editing if accepted by those responsible for maintaining the high standards of the journal. In this respect, we would encourage all potential authors to consult the instructions for authors, which are available at www.journals.cambridge.org/jid_CTY go to ‘further instructions’ and then ‘Instructions for contributors’. It is very important that manuscripts be submitted in the format required by the Journal. We are pleased that the Journal is now widely respected, and acknowledged as the main journal in the field of those concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of congenital cardiac malformations. This is due in no small part to the efforts of the Editor-in-Chief, Bob Anderson, who has devoted a large part of his professional and private life to making the Journal successful, informative, and a “must-read” for all cardiologists working in the field of congenital cardiac malformations as seen at all ages.

I would like to take this opportunity personally to thank Bob for his efforts, and for his help throughout the years. I would also like to thank Cambridge University Press, and its staff, for their understanding, help and continuous support for the Association for European Paediatric Cardiology. On behalf of the council, I would like to express our gratitude for the support we have been provided, and which we know will be provided also in the future. We are sure that, through our support of the Journal, it can only get better, and that not only our own members, but all interested in the field will be provided with interesting reading and excellent continuous education. Those who are members of the Association, however, should note that, if they are to receive their copies of the Journal, they need to pay their annual contribution of 150 euros to the treasurer of the society no later than April 30, 2005!

The progress made over the last 20 years in Paediatric Cardiology, in Paediatric Cardiovascular Surgery, but also by those Adult Cardiologist dealing with patients affected by congenital cardiac malformations, has forced societies to develop more and more subspecialised groups with an in-depth knowledge in a special field. Such special working groups have also been formed in the field of congenital cardiac malformations. Our own working groups, now existing for several years, have been delegated special tasks. They are involved in promoting and providing special teaching and research in their particular field of interest, and they are expected to develop recommendations for the standards of care. They are also expected to establish relationships with other societies having similar interests in Europe, and on other continents.

One of the very first working groups in our own Association was founded many years ago by the late Anne Blancquaert-Devloo of Ghent, in Belgium. The importance of this working group for psycho-social problems had been neglected for many years, but some of the members of our society have continued to work for its survival, and have delivered important contributions over the years. The significance of the working group is becoming more and more apparent, as we recognize the everyday needs of our young and adult patients affected by congenital cardiac malformations, be they treated or not. This working group has, in the past, continued to organize a special two-day symposium every two year, bringing together medical specialists in the different field of Paediatric Cardiology, and also social workers, parents, patients and laymen. They try to discuss and find solutions for everyday problems for the growing group of patients for whom they care. You will find a special newsletter from this working group in this issue of the Journal. The Council would like to stimulate your attention to these needs, and also to invite your participation in the activities of this important working group. The needs, worries, but also the joy of life of our patients, their parents and their surroundings, should concern us all.

The important changes in pre- and postoperative care of patients with congenital cardiac malformations has also led more recently to the formation of a new working group for intensive care. We will be presenting a report from this working group in the next issue of the Journal. Again, we encourage all those working in the fields related to intensive care to join the group, and to contribute directly with your own experiences, your personal ideas, your research and publications so as to ensure the success of this important, very demanding, and continuously developing field of intensive care, along with its related disciplines of specialized anaesthesia and reanimation.

In closing my opening letter for 2005, may I remind all of you that the annual meeting, to be held in Copenhagen from May 18th to 21st, is drawing ever closer. The local chairman, Joes Ramsoe Jacobsen, along with the scientific secretary of the association, Shak Qureshi, are working hard for you all in preparing an attractive and interesting scientific and social programme. We hope that as many of our members as possible will join us for this meeting, and we extend a warm welcome to those who may not be members. We would be grateful if all the active members could stimulate any contacts they may have in industry to support the annual meeting. There is still the possibility for hiring of booths, and for advertising. Those intending to participate should have taken profit from the opportunity to register early, thus gaining significant advantage from the reduced fee for registration!

Changes are also due to occur in the composition of our Council. I take this opportunity to invite all members to provide the Council with suggestion for my own replacement as Secretary-General, since my term of duty is nearly at an end, and also for the replacement of one member of council. I would also welcome suggestions as to the potential sites for future annual meetings, and who should organize them. Suggestions can be sent directly to me. We already know that our colleagues in Warsaw and Athens are willing and able to organize one of the future meetings. The Council of the Association is looking forward to hear from you.