Future of urology discussed at annual EAU - National Societies meeting

On 17-18 May, the “EAU Meets National Societies” Meeting took place in Noordwijk aan Zee, The Netherlands. Together with the chairs of several EAU offices, the representatives of over 30 national urological societies reflected upon current collaborative projects. Furthermore, they discussed new possible ways in which the EAU and national societies can work together and addressed broader developments in urology.

One of the major challenges facing urology at this moment is making sure that urologists are able to develop their specialised field in a way they see fit, before being forced in a possibly undesirable direction by political or other regulations. This message was stressed by the chairmen of the meeting, Prof. Per-Anders Abrahamsson (SE), EAU Secretary General, and Prof. Chris Chapple (GB), Chairman of the EAU International Relations Office, as well as the participants.

Prof. Abrahamsson: “If we don’t take the lead in certain developments, such as standardised quality parameters, our governments or the European Union will soon enforce them.” By focussing on new research, quality assurance of urological care, and continuously improving education, urologists can keep control and move urology forward.

“Close collaboration between the EAU and national societies is key in making this happen,” said Prof. Chapple. The involvement of young urologists throughout Europe is another important factor, as they are crucial in shaping the future of urology. During the interactive meeting, many ideas were brought forward by the participants to continue and further intensify the liaison between the EAU and the national urological societies.

A full version of this article will be published in the June/July issue of European Urology Today.