29 April 2012

Dear EAEPE Members

We are happy to announce that a new EAEPE Council has been set up after the last elections in December 2011 and has started to work. The new Council is a pluralistic team with a strong commitment to preserve the varities of disciplines, the different Research Areas and the plurality of theoretical perspectives of the Association. The first meeting of the new Council took place in Krakow on 20-21 April 2012, and it worked in a very positive and productive environment.

New EAEPE Council

EAEPE Secretariat

President of EAEPE: Wolfram Elsner (University of Bremen, Germany), welsner@uni-bremen.de

General Secretary: Pasquale Tridico (University Roma Tre, Italy), tridico@uniroma3.it

Treasurer: Oliver Kessler (University of Erfurt, Germany), oliver.kessler@uni-erfurt.de

Newsletter and Website Editor: David Gindis (University of Hertfordshire, UK), d.gindis@herts.ac.uk (co-opted by Council decision)

Ordinary Council Members

Prize Committee Coordinator: Jean-Christophe Graz (University of Lausanne, Switzerland), jean-christophe.graz@unil.ch

Scientific Development Plan Officer and Research Area Coordinator: Hardy Hanappi (Wien University of Technology, Austria), hanappi@econ.tuwien.ac.at

Publication Officer: Maria Lissowska (Warsaw School of Economics, Poland), lisso@sgh.waw.pl

Second signature of EAEPE current account: Sidonia von Proff (University of Marburg, Germany), vonproff@staff.uni-marburg.de  

Uskali Mäki (University of Helsinki, Finland), uskali.maki@helsinki.fi

Paolo Ramazzotti (University of Macerata, Italy), ramazzotti@unimc.it

Aurora Teixeira (University of Porto, Portuga), ateixeira@fep.up.pt (co-opted by Council decision)

Since no one ran for the position of the EAEPE Newsletter and Website Editor in the December 2011 elections, this position was still vacant, but the Council found a new Website Editor, David Gindis, who agreed to be co-opted according to Clauses 9.1 and 9.2 of the EAEPE Constitution. In order to further reinforce the Council, the organizer of EAEPE's 2007 Annual Conference in Portugal, Aurora Teixeira, has also been co-opted by the Council.

With this, the organizational break and crisis of the last months of 2011 has basically been overcome. The new Council has started its work with new enthusiasm and full commitment. It is working for the revitalization of EAEPE, for the true plurality of Research Areas, and will defend the pluralism of theoretical perspectives that has always been one of the key assets of EAEPE. The new Council will thus to re-establish EAEPE as an arena for lively discussions and debates on cutting-edge research fields. A major priority will be to attrach more young people, and female members, as well as scholars from Central and Eastern European countries, under-represented so far.

Next Events

The next major steps have already been laid down bt the new Council. We now have the locations and programmes fro the following scientific activities (see Upcoming Events):

The 24th Annual EAEPE Conference will be held in Kraków, Poland, from 18-21October 2012. The theme is: 'Economic Policy in Times of Crisis'. See the attachment below. More information can be found here.

The EAEPE Symposium 2012 will be held in Rome, Italy, from 10-11 May 2012. The theme is: 'The Labour Market in Dangerous Currents: Between Totems and Taboos'. See the attachment below. More information can be found here.  

The EAEPE Summer School will be held in Rome, Italy, from 2-6 July 2012. The theme is: 'Institutions for a Better Development after the Financial Crisis'. See the attachment below. More information can be found here.   

The 25th Annual EAEPE Conference will be held in Bilbao, Spain, in the Fall of 2013 (exact dates to be confirmed). 

The 25th Annual EAEPE Conference in Bilbao, Spain, may be partly integrated with the international conference of the Research Network on Macroeconomics and Macroeconomic Policies (FMM). 

Financial Condition of EAEPE

EAEPE is still in a difficult position withi respect to finance. Building up a sound and viable financial system, and a solid financial position for EAEPE, will perhaps be the most critical item on the agenda of the new Council for the the time being. This also requires establishing an auditing system, missing thus far. Thanks for the volunteering of one of our best experts in auditing, Fieke van der Lecq, we are have just completed a preliminary audit of the past 3 years. The Council is very grateful to Fieke for her very good job in examining: EAEPE balances, Albert Jolink's (previous Treasurer) Reports, and expenses and transfers from him to the new Treasurer, Oliver Kessler. The Council trusts Fieke's Report, that trusts Albert's reconstructed figures for 2010. As regards 2011 and 2012 (Q1), the Council trusts Oliver's Report and figures. The Council is grateful to Oliver, who provided all documents in the meeting and did all that was reasonable and feasible since he has taken change. The Council has asked Oliver to provide a new up-to-date Report in October.

EAEPE and Myrdal Prizes

As regards the EAEPE and Gunnar Myrdal Prizes, we announced in January an extension of the submission deadline to 31 March 2012 in order to run the competition on a larger and more competitive basis in this exceptional context. This was a successful move as we received twice as many entries than in 2011. We warmly thank those of you who submitted an entry. Prizes will be awarded during the conference dinner in Kraków. We strongly encourage those who haven't submitted this time around to consider entering their recent book or article in next year's competition. Please monitor the EAEPE website and do not hesitate to contact Jean-Christophe Graz, the EAEPE Prize Committee Coordinator. 

Revitalizing Research Areas and EAEPE Publications

EAEPE's Research Areas have been enhanced by the enrolment of new scholars to act as Research Area Coordinators (RACs). As son as the new list of RACsis finalised, this information will be on our website. There are also efforts to improve the consistency and overall structure of EAEPE's research activities. Hardy Hanappi, who remains EAEPE's Scientific Development Plan Officer and Research Area Coordinator, is in charge of this, and will make concrete proposals at our next Council meeting.

EAEPE's new Publication Officer, responsible for publication contracts, is Maria Lissowska. EAEPE intends to conclude agreements with one or more leading publishers for publication of collective or individual volumes under the auspices of EAEPE.

Website Policy

The Council is aware that the EAEPE website needs to be improved. First steps have been taken to build it up so as to make it an effective instrument for the members. EAEPE's new Website Editor, David Gindis, has already implemented numerous changes to the structure and content of the website. The website's ambition is not only to provide the membership with useful resources (including links to upcoming events, associations, research networks and journal of potential interest to the members) but also to document the rich history of EAEPE.

Journal of Institutional Economics

EAEPE is proud to announce that the Journal of Institutional Economics (JOIE), the journal founded by EAEPE in 2003, will be distributed free of charge to EAEPE members at least up to 2015, under a renewable agreement. From 2012 JOIE will be listed in the Social Science Citation Index.

Constitutional Amendments To Come 

Last but not least, last year's crisis confirmed the necessity of reforms of EAEPE's written and formal as well as tacit rules and institutions. The new Council is currently working on some amendments that will be presented our next membership meeting in Kraków. In a nutshell, we have put in motion a number of major improvements. But much still has to be done. An organisation that is 24 years old deserves, and needs, special care.

The new Council, but also the members. have to stabilize and revitalize the Association in this current critical phase. So all please come to EAEPE, remain in EAEPE, be active in EAEPE, and support the new Council.

With best wishes from the EAEPE Council

Wolfram Elsner, David Gindis, Jean-Christophe Graz, Hardy Hanappi, Oliver Kessler, Maria Lissowska, Uskali Mäki, Paolo Ramazzotti, Aurora Teixeira, Pasquale Tridico, Sidonia von Proff