EFP online general assembly approves strategy for next five years

The EFP held its executive committee meeting and general assembly on October 2 and 3 in an online format and approved a new strategic plan that will guide the federation and its 37 affiliated societies for the next five years.

The general assembly had been due to take place in Pisa in March but was first postponed until October and then changed into an online meeting because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In this innovative format, representatives from the affiliated societies were given reports by members of the executive committee on the year of Filippo Graziani’s term in office as EFP president (April 2019-March 2020).

Secretary general Nicola West presented the federation’s new strategic plan, which covers 2021 to 2025 and which prioritises sustainability and communication and has four focus areas: (1) health and well-being, (2) policy and influence, (3) science and research, and (4) education and training.

The secretary general also formally launched the EFP’s Sustainability Manifesto and seven-point plan of action, which was described in Perio Review, the EFP’s annual report on its activities, which was published in September.

“It has been a huge honour to represent the Federation as secretary general at the 2020 general assembly,” said Prof West. “Whilst I would rather have addressed the Federation in person, I am immensely proud that the general assembly proceeded in a virtual forum for the first time and was a standout success.”

“I am confident that our strategies are appropriate, dynamic, and far-reaching. They have enabled us to address our commitments, respond definitively to circumstances, and to effectively prepare to meet our vision for the future. We are already seeing benefit from our endeavours and I would like to take this opportunity to show heartfelt appreciation to my friends and colleagues for their dedication and contribution.”

Munich for EuroPerio11, Antwerp for Perio Master Clinic 2023

Decisions at the general assembly were taken by proxy voting, as the EFP’s bylaws do not permit electronic voting. Signed votes were sent to the EFP by the full-member national-society delegates and then counted. Decisions taken included:

• The selection of Munich as host city for EuroPerio11 in 2024 with an organising committee comprising Anton Sculean (chair), Lior Shapira (scientific chair), and Elena Figuero (treasurer).
• Antwerp in Belgium was chosen as the location for Perio Master Clinic 2023 and the EFP will organise this event in collaboration with the Belgian Society of Periodontology with Peter Garmyn as chair and Virginie Monnet-Corti as scientific chair. There were rival bids from Athens (Greece) and Krakow (Poland).
• Darko Božić, currently the EFP’s webmaster and member of the communications committee, was voted in as the new elected member of the executive committee and will become the federation’s president for 2023-2024.
• Francis Hughes, who was chair of EuroPeri8 in London, was chosen as the new chair of the congress committee.

In addition, the EFP awarded its Distinguished Scientist Award to Andrea Mombelli and its Distinguished Service Award to Gil Alcoforado. A special award ­ – the EFP International Eminence in Periodontology Award – was given posthumously to Bob Genco, one of the pioneers of periodontal medicine and research into the links between periodontal and systemic diseases.

These awards will be presented at the next general assembly, scheduled to be held in Nantes, France, in March 2021.

The federation also awarded its annual prizes for postgraduate research at universities that teach the EFP-accredited programme in periodontology, with the first prize for basic/pre-clinical research going to a researcher at ACTA in Amsterdam (Netherlands) and the first prize for clinical research to a student at the International University of Catalonia (UIC) in Barcelona (Spain).

“It has been a long and challenging year,” said Filippo Graziani. “However, I believe that the federation has shown its full-strength potentialities. I am grateful to all the people that are making the EFP so great for their willingness to carry on no matter what. I am deeply honoured to have served our community. Lastly, let me wish all the success to our president Xavier Sturillou – the federation could not be in better hands.”

Xavier Struillou, EFP president for 2020-21 who succeeded Prof Graziani in March, said: “It has been a privilege to work with our past president Filippo Graziani. His enthusiasm and his energy gave a new impulse to the EFP.”

He added that this year, as a result of the pandemic, has so far been “an incredible challenge” with “difficult decisions to take.” Nonetheless, he noted, “the executive committee has worked as a closely knit team to preserve the interests of the Federation and assist our national societies. We began a new project by sending a survey to all the national societies to have a global overview of the federation and improve the relationships between the EFP and our national societies.”