The final in the series of meetings of COST 244bis Action on Biomedical Effects of Electromagnetic Fields will take place on 7-8 October 2000 in Bled. This meeting includes the 11th Workshop on Biomedical Applications and COST 244bis Management Committee Meeting. It is noteworthy that the first meeting of COST 244 Action group was also organised in Bled in 1993.

COST stands for European Co-operation in the field of Scientific and Technical research. This open and flexible framework was set up in 1971 and now involves 25 countries from the European Union, the Central and Eastern European countries, and Turkey. COST Actions involve pre-competitive or basic research and activities of public utility. COST Actions exist in over 15 research domains, the largest being COST Telecommunications which also includes the COST 244bis Action. COST 244 was started in 1992. Commencing in 1996, the COST 244bis Action is an extension of the original COST 244 Action. As its predecessor, COST 244bis focuses on co-ordination of European research in the area of biomedical effects of electromagnetic fields, on co-ordination and promotion of national research activities in this area at European level, and on stimulation of multidisciplinary collaboration between experts in medicine, biology, electrical engineering, physics etc. More information about specific activities of COST 244 and COST 244bis Actions can be found at:

http://www.radio.fer.hr/cost244/

The first official day of 3rd ICBEM and 1st SLO-CRO MBE overlaps with the final meeting of COST 244bis Action Group. The topics covered by COST meeting are related to those covered by 3rd ICBEM and 1st SLO-CRO MBE. All participants to 3rd ICBEM have free admittance to the COST 244bis scientific sessions.

Co-operation between Croatian and Slovenian research groups which are involved in biomedical engineering has a long-lasting tradition. 3rd ICBEM is an excellent opportunity to formalise the relationships between researchers from the two neighbouring countries and to initiate a series of regular SLO-CRO meetings on biomedical engineering. The 2nd SLO-CRO Meeting on Biomedical Engineering will be held in Pula, Croatia, in the year 2001.

Within the framework of 1st SLO-CRO MBE, the one-day Workshop on Clinical Engineering will be organised by the Commission for Clinical Engineering of the Slovenian Society for Medical and Biological Engineering on Tuesday, 10 October. The topic of this workshop is the assurance of impeccability and safety of medical appliances. The program of the workshop includes presentation of education and internet tools for clinical engineering, presentation of recent changes in Slovenian legislation in the area of clinical engineering, presentation of current status of clinical engineering in Croatia, and presentation and practical demonstration of new methods for medical equipment testing.

Council Meeting of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association will take place on Sunday, 8 October, at 17:00-20:00 in the White Lounge in Grand Hotel Toplice (for members only).

General Assembly Meeting of the International Society for Bioelectromagnetism will take place on Monday, 9 October, at 18:00 in Festival Hall. It will be followed by ISBEM Council Meeting at about 19:00 in the White Lounge in Grand Hotel Toplice (for members only).