Facts and dates

The year after its foundation EDTA held its first congress in Amsterdam, with a one-day program and 210 participants coming from 16 European countries and several extra-European countries, such as the US, Australia, Panama and Ghana. 36 papers and 18 films and demonstrations are presented, while the “plenary lectures” are held by Dr William Kolff (The Netherlands) and Dr Sergio Giovannetti (Italy). There are no simultaneous sessions. At this time the EDTA President and the congress President are the same people and, for this specific year, the congress President is Dr B. Forminje (The Netherlands). The first EDTA Constitution is drafted, some of the main points being: a congress is held once a year for 1-2 days; a business meeting is held once a year before the congress; on a yearly basis the President is elected by the members at the business meeting among the members where the congress of the following year will be held; the Secretary-Treasurer is also elected by the members on an annual basis (but he/she can be re-elected); the functions of the President and the Secretary-Treasurer are outlined; the Council is made up of 7 members (5 ordinary plus the President and the Secretary-Treasurer), only EDTA members can present works at the annual congress; honorary membership is recognized and finally, the Editor of the Proceedings is appointed by the Council and has a 3-year term (renewable for another 3-year term).

The members are 82.

The first logo is created by Dr S. Shaldon, and, in the words of Dr W. Drukker “It was neither beautiful nor original. The somewhat cryptographic antique symbols were from a book by Weinsberg from Chicago which indicated: water, salt, acid and alkali”.

Dr W. Drukker is nominated as the first Secretary-Treasurer while Dr D. Kerr is nominated as the Editor of the annual Proceedings. For the first nine years, papers were presented and published in English and French; therefore, Dr D. Fries and J. Traeger became the French co-Editors.

In the same year, EDTA decides that the collection of data on kidney failure and treatment in Europe will become a permanent activity of the Society. So it creates a Registry Committee, and Dr W. Drukker is its first Chair.

The annual congress was supposed to be held in Copenhagen (Denmark) but was relocated to Paris (France) to avoid a potential clash with the ISN congress.

150 people attended this congress.

The President is Dr J.H. Thaysen (Denmark).

The annual congress, held in Barcelona (Spain), has more than 1,000 participants with 160 abstracts sent. The President is Dr E. Rotellar (Spain).

Dr J.S. Cameron (UK) is elected as the Editor of the Proceedings.

EDTA opens its bank account in Switzerland and adopts the Swiss Franc as the currency for its accountancy, due to its stability.

The annual congress is held in Vienna (Austria), and the Congress President is Dr B. Watschinger (Austria). For the first time, the word “Nephrology” is added to the title of the Proceedings (previously only “Dialysis” and “Transplantation” were present) and general nephrology topics make a significant impact on the content of the scientific programme of the congress. For the first time, the Proceedings were distributed in the USA with the “Transactions” of the ASAIO (American Society for Artificial Internal Organs). The first mention of copyright issues is made (“… articles, figures and tables cannot be published unless they are original, or written permission is obtained from previous publishers for their reproduction.”).

Dr V.E. Andreucci (Italy) is elected as the Secretary-Treasurer while Dr J. Moorehead (UK) is elected as the Editor of the Proceedings.

The annual congress is held in Hamburg (Germany), and the Congress President is Dr G. Schuetterle (Germany). Dr A. Wing is elected Registry Chair and Dr B.H.B. Robinson (UK) is elected as the Editor of the Proceedings. The Registry is moved to St. Thomas’s Hospital in London where it will remain until 1999.

“How to become a member” is advertised for the first time in the Proceedings listing all the membership benefits.

The annual congress is held in Amsterdam (The Netherlands), and the Congress President is Dr A. Struyvenberg (The Netherlands). Parallel sessions at the annual congress are increased. More than 2,000 delegates attended this congress.

There are more than 1,200 active members.

Dr S.T. Boen (The Netherlands) is elected as the Secretary-Treasurer.

EDTA-ERA created the status of Honorary Members, for those members who most contributed to society, the first Honorary Members are Arthur Kennedy and M. Drukker.

The annual congress is held in Madrid (Spain), and the Congress President is Dr J. Botella (Spain). The text of the discussions held after the presentation of the free communications, the symposia and the Registry reports are included in the Proceedings. For the first time, the index is not present in the Proceedings and in its place, the name and address for correspondence of each author are included at the end of the text of each communication, furthermore, the index in the main part gives the first page number of the communication concerned rather than the page on which the word or subject appears.

For the first time, large visibility is given to the posters, each being allotted 8-10 minutes of chaired discussion time: these were called the “video-poster sessions”.

It is during this year that the first mention of the close collaboration between the National Nephrological Societies and EDTA is made: they were instrumental in suggesting chairs for the congress sessions and informing their members of the congress itself. During the congress the first meeting between ERA-EDTA and the Presidents of the National Societies takes place.

Dr A.M. Davison (UK) is elected as the Editor of the Proceedings.

The annual congress is held in Brussels (Belgium) and it lasts four days following a decision ratified by the General Assembly in 1982 to include more clinical nephrology in the programme; the congress President is Dr S. Ringoir (Belgium).

This is the last year in which the Proceedings are published, they had grown from 320 pages (1964) to 1,284 pages (1985).

This year honorary membership is granted to scientists who have given outstanding contributions to the fields of interest to the Association, W.J. Kolff (The Netherlands) and B.H. Scribner (USA).

Dr F. Brunner (Switzerland) is elected Chair of the Registry.

The annual congress is held in Madrid (Spain), and the Congress President is Dr J. Botella (Spain). Almost 1,000 abstracts are submitted for evaluation.

From this year on the votes to elect Council members are collected during the annual congress, by means of a voting station, and not just at the General Assembly.

The annual congress that was supposed to be held in Belgrade (Yugoslavia) is relocated to Rimini (Italy) due to the Balkan war. The Congress President is Dr V. Cambi (Italy). The abstracts submitted were 756.

Dr N. Mallick (UK) is elected Chair of the Registry.

V. Cambi creates the permanent HQ secretariat in Parma (Italy) in charge of the membership but also started to follow the congress organization, in particular, the exhibition/sponsorships and the registrations.

The annual congress is held in Vienna (Austria), and the congress President is Dr H.K. Stumvoll (Austria). It has 3,625 participants and the abstracts submitted were 1,251. For the first time, the HQ in Parma is involved in the organization of the annual Congress, in particular regarding the congress registrations.

The members are 2,873 (January 1^st).

The annual congress is supposed to be held in Jerusalem (Israel) but it is relocated to Geneva (Switzerland) due to terrorist attacks. The Congress President is Dr J. Bernheim (Israel), 2,927 participants attended the Congress and 1,180 abstracts were submitted. The ERA HQ becomes more and more involved in the organization of the congress, in particular with the contractual aspects (i.e. congress centre, hotels, etc.).

Dr J.D. Briggs (UK) is elected Chair of the Registry.

The first woman, Dr M. Kessler (France) is elected as an ordinary council member.

At the beginning of the year, the ERA-EDTA becomes an English and Welsh Charity thus moving its legal residence from The Netherlands to London (UK).

The members are 4,229 (January 1^st).

The ERA-EDTA Registry gets a new life. It is transferred from London to Amsterdam (Department of Epidemiology and Informatics of the AMC – Academic Medical Centre) and its procedures for collecting and processing data are completely transformed. The annual congress is held in Nice (France) and the congress President is Dr F. Berthoux (France), 4,754 participants attended the Congress.

The members are 5,053 (January 1^st).

A change to the Constitution is introduced, to add scientific research to the statutory aims of the association.

In Berlin (Germany) ERA-EDTA and ISN have their congresses together as one joint congress and the congress President is Dr E. Ritz (Germany), 8,833 participants attended this joint Congress. A total of 1,951 abstracts were received.

The members are 5,467 as of January 1^st. This year the very discounted annual membership fee (EUR 50) was introduced for junior members (less than 35 years of age). Furthermore, also students (less than 28 years of age) could now attend the annual congress for a very low registration fee (EUR 50).

The National Society Grant was introduced, offering three years of junior membership and one complimentary congress registration to a young presenter/author (less than 35 years of age) selected by the National Society.

Dr C. Zoccali (Italy) is elected Chair of the Registry.

ERA-EDTA starts its fellowships programme.

The congress is held in Glasgow (UK) and the local congress President is Dr J. Fox (UK), 5,823 participants attended the Congress.

2,262 abstracts were submitted, there were 89 free communications, 1,522 posters and 651 were rejected. 1,611 abstracts were accepted, which means 71% of those submitted.

The members are 5,235 (January 1^st) a number which is slightly lower than the previous year due to the fact that, from now onwards, all members who have not paid their previous outstanding two years (no longer three) are cancelled from the membership database.

In December 2006 NDT-Educational published its 100^th issue, it had 8213 registered users. 70% of them were not members of ERA-EDTA. There were 32,965 visits per month, with 120.824 downloaded pages.

NDT’s IF is 3,15.

The second congress of ERA-EDTA and ISN together is held, in Milan (Italy) and the local congress President is F. Locatelli (Italy), this joint Congress saw the participation of 9,713 delegates. The abstracts submitted were 3,611 (including 6 Late Braking Clinical Trials abstracts).

The members are 5,355 (January 1^st).

ERA-EDTA establishes its first Working Groups.

The ERA-EDTA Research Program starts.

The NDT submissions were 3127 (2168 original papers and 959 revisions) and 630 (430 original papers and 200 revisions) for NDT Plus.

Dr C. Wanner (Germany) is elected Chair of the Registry.

ERA-EDTA, at the annual congress in Paris (France), honors the pioneers of Nephrology. The local congress President is Dr. P. Ronco (France).

For the first time, the annual congress has an App.

For the first time, the annual congress reaches 8,531 delegates and received 2,672 abstracts.

The members are 5,885 (January 1^st).

All members of ERA-EDTA committees/bodies must fill in their DoI (Declaration of Interest). These forms are freely accessible to all on the ERA-EDTA website.

NDT Plus changes its name and becomes CKJ – Clinical Kidney Journal.

Dr M. Ketteler (Germany) is elected Chair of the Administrative Offices.

Becomes a member of ASN-FDA’s initiative Kidney Health Initiative (KHI).

The congress is held in London (UK) and the congress President is Dr D. Goldsmith (UK). E-materials of the congress are provided to all delegates.

The members are 6,885 (January 1^st).

For the first time, 2,679 abstracts are received.

Tweeting activity is organized during the congress.

CKJ becomes an Open Access Journal and the Council decides to waive all APCs until the Journal has an IF.

Dr Z. Massy (France) is elected Chair of the Registry.

The congress is held in Copenhagen (Denmark) with the Danish Soc. of Nephrology and the local congress President is Dr. B. Feldt-Rasmussen (Denmark). The congress delegates are 6,887 and 2,162 abstracts were submitted.

The members are 6,768 (January 1^st).

The Society introduces a completely new logo and color code for identifying its core activities.

The CEPD (Continuing Education and Professional Development) committee substitutes the old CME committee to prepare a unique CME programme for the first day of the annual congress.

The SEID (Scientific and Educational Interaction Day) committee is created to organize a new educational and interactive day to be held separately from the congress and in collaboration with the working groups and committees of the Society.

In September 2018, the cardio-renal collection was launched, a virtual Journal including cardio-renal medicine articles from NDT, ckj and the European Society of Cardiology Journals published by OUP.

A new educational section in NDT, called ‘NDT Digest’, is published summarising an important renal topic in one educational page for renal fellows. Articles are chosen, selected, and edited in collaboration with the ERA-EDTA Young Nephrologists’ Platform (YNP).

The duties of ComIA and the Award Committee are taken over by the SAB optimizing the various committees of the Society.

The following new committees are also created: GNC (Green Nephrology Committee), NPPC (Nephrology and Public Policy Committee) and the ECC (Electronic Communications Committee).

The Chair of the Administrative Offices becomes the Renal Science Chair and the Chair of the Registry instead becomes the Clinical Nephrology Governance Chair.

Dr D. Fliser (Germany) is elected as the Renal Science Chair.

A major decision is taken with regard to the congress registration fees: the registration fee is the same for in person & virtual delegates since the core idea behind this decision is linked to the fact that ERA delivers content and how the delegates “use” it is independent of the content itself. Major discounts for the registration fee for abstract authors are introduced since with their content they contribute to the success of the congress.

Due to the ongoing pandemic of Covid-19, the live component of the congress is cancelled (due to take place in Berlin, Germany, June 5-8) and again is presented in a fully virtual manner with a small studio set up in Berlin for a selected number of sessions (Welcome Ceremony and General Assembly). 5,207 delegates attended this congress from 115 different countries. There were more than 59,600 website visits and a 19,268,000 audience on Twitter with 6,200 Tweets. 1,191 abstracts were presented and there were over 21,100 session views.

The Society changes its name and ERA-EDTA becomes ERA, European Renal Association. This implies also a new logo.

The NDT EiC no longer is a member of the Council, thus the ex-officio members become 4 while the ordinary council members 9, leaving the total number of Council members unchanged (= 13).

SAB (Scientific Advisory Board) becomes a fully independent body from the Council allowing more transparency in the evaluation procedure of projects/fellowships, etc.