European Physical Society#Europhysics News

In 1966, Gilberto Bernardini, then president of the Italian Physical Society, convened a meeting of 80 European physicists in Pisa to discuss possibly forming a Pan-European Physical Society. There was agreement in such a society existed, but disagreement about its form which led to the establishment of a Steering Committee. They would attempt to determine if a federation of national physical societies or an independent society with direct personal membership would be the preferred form for the European Physical Society. In a May 1967 meeting in London determined the European Physical Society should be a loose federation of physical societies, and that it should be a service organization, which means it would organize conferences, coordinate European physics publications, and be a communication channel rather than attempting to organize physics research in Europe. On the 26th of September 1968 in Geneva, the European Physical Society was legally incorporated.{{cite journal |last1=Press |first1=R. |last2= |first2= |year=1968 |title=The European Physical Society |journal=Physics Bulletin |volume=19 |issue=11 |pages=390–391 |doi=10.1088/0031-9112/19/11/005}}

The EPS Council is held annually and reviews the activities of the EPS, discusses priorities and approves annual accounts; it has representatives from each of the 42 Member Societies as well as the 11 Divisions and seven Groups. Associate and Individual Members are represented by five delegates elected from their respective groups of members. Delegates are elected for four-year terms, and the elections typically take place between January and March.{{cite web|url=https://www.eps.org/page/about_us_governance|title= Society governance|publisher=European Physical Society}}

The executive committee is elected by the EPS Council for a two-year term, with a term limit of two. It is made up of a President, who is the President of the Society and Chairman of the council, a Vice-president, a member from each Member Society with an effective membership greater than or equal to 10,000, three members elected from each other Member Society, four members elected from Divisions and Groups, one member elected from Individual Members, and one member elected from the Associate Members. Additionally, a Secretary and Treasurer exists as part of the executive committee. {{cn|date=June 2025}}

The President must also serve as the vice-president the year before and after their two-year term. No one may serve more than one term as president.

Additionally, the EPS General Meeting occurs every three years.

Its letters journal is EPL;Burr, Frédéric (Editor) [http://iopscience.iop.org/0295-5075 EPL - A Letters Journal Exploring the Frontiers of Science] {{ISSN|0295-5075}} (Print)

{{ISSN|1286-4854}} (Online), Accessed 21 July 2012 its other publications include Europhysics NewsSébenne, Claude (Editor) [http://www.europhysicsnews.org/ Europhysics News] {{ISSN|0531-7479}} (Print Edition), {{ISSN|1432-1092}} (Electronic Edition), Accessed 21 July 2012 and the European Journal of Physics.{{Citation |title=European Journal of Physics |url=http://iopscience.iop.org/0143-0807 |issn =0143-0807 |access-date=2012-07-21}}

Europhysics News is a magazine owned by the European Physical Society, and produced in collaboration with EDP Sciences. It publishes review articles, advanced topic features, and reports to aid European Physicists.{{cite web|url=https://www.europhysicsnews.org/about-us/about-the-journal|title=About the Journal|publisher=Europhysics News}} The current editor-in-chief is Dr. Antigone Marino, and Ferenc Igloi is a Science Editor for the magazine.{{cite web|url=https://www.europhysicsnews.org/about-us/editorial-board|title=Editorial Board}}

One of its main activities is organizing international conferences.

The EPS sponsors conferences other than the Europhysics Conference, like the International Conference of Physics Students in 2011.

{{Cite web | title = EPS Sponsored Conferences | publisher = European Physical Society

| url = http://www.eps.org/events/event_list.asp?show=&group=&start=12%2F9%2F2011&end=&view=&cid=4897

| access-date = 2012-07-21}}

Committees are groups entrusted with special tasks which are appointed by the executive committee.

The following committees are part of the EPS:{{cite web|url=https://www.eps.org/members/group_select.asp?type=8718|title=Community Groups|publisher=European Physical Society}}

• Conference Committee
• Distinctions and Awards Committee
• EPS Historic Sites Selection Committee
• Equal Opportunities
• European Integration
• Executive Committee
• Forum Physics and Society
• Young Minds Committee

Divisions normally focus on specific physics disciplines.{{cite web|url=https://www.eps.org/resource/resmgr/about_us/eps_constitution_and_by-laws.pdf|title=Constitution of the European Physical Society|year=2016}}

The current Divisions of the EPS are:

• Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Division
• Condensed Matter Division
• Environmental Physics Division
• Gravitational Physics Division
• High Energy Particle Physics Division
• Nuclear Physics Division
• Division of Physics in Life Sciences
• Physics Education Division
• Plasma Physics Division
• Quantum Electronics and Optics Division
• European Solar Physics Division
• Statistical & Nonlinear Physics Division

Groups normally focus on general issues within physics.

The current Groups of the EPS are:

• Accelerator Group
• Computational Physics Group
• Energy Group
• History of Physics Group
• Physics for Development Group
• Technology and Innovation Group

The EPS awards a number of prizes, including the Edison Volta Prize, the EPS Europhysics Prize, the EPS Statistical and Nonlinear Physics Prizes, the High Energy and Particle Physics Prize,

{{Cite web | title = EPS Europhysics Prize | publisher = European Physical Society

| url = http://www.eps.org/?page=prizes

| access-date = 2012-07-21}} the EPS Emmy Noether Distinction for Women in Physics,{{Cite web |title=EPS Emmy Noether Distinction for Women in Physics - European Physical Society (EPS) |url=https://www.eps.org/page/distinction_prize_en |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=www.eps.org}} and the Rolf Wideroe Prize.

The Historic Sites Initiative launched towards the end of 2011, and was inspired by a similar initiative launched by the American Physical Society. The initiative is meant to commemorate places in Europe with significance to the development and the history of physics such as laboratories, and universities. As of September 2018, 41 sites are inaugurated in 21 different countries.{{cite web|url=https://epn.eps.org/eps-historic-sites/|title=THE EPS HISTORIC SITES|year=2018|publisher=European Physical Society}} Examples of recognized sites are the Blackett Laboratory (UK) in 2014,{{cite web | url=http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_1-5-2014-14-26-39 | title=Imperial's Blackett Lab recognised as an historic site in physics research | publisher=Imperial College | date=2014–2016 | access-date=1 October 2016 | author=Narcross, Jon}} and the Residencia de Estudiantes (Spain) in 2015.{{cite web | url=http://www.eps.org/?page=distinction_sitesRE&hhSearchTerms=%22residencia+and+de+and+estudiantes%22 | title=EPS Historic Sites - The Residencia de Estudiantes, Madrid, Spain | access-date=1 October 2016}}

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• 2024–present : Mairi Sakellariaou (United Kingdom)
• 2021–2024: Luc Bergé (France)
• 2019–2021: Petra Rudolf (Netherlands){{cite web | url=https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.eps.org/resource/resmgr/about_us/EPS_PastPresidents.pdf | title=EPS Past Presidents | publisher=EPS | date=2021 | access-date=2 September 2021}}
• 2017–19: Rüdiger Voss (Switzerland)
• 2015–17: C. Rossel (Switzerland)
• 2013–15: John M. Dudley (France)
• 2011–13: Luisa Cifarelli (Italy)
• 2009–11: M. Kolwas (Poland)
• 2007–9: Friedrich Wagner (Germany)
• 2005–7: O. Poulsen (Denmark)
• 2003–5: M.C.E. Huber (Switzerland)
• 2001–3: M. Ducloy (France)
• 1999–2001: Arnold Wolfendale (United Kingdom)
• 1997–99: Denis Weaire (Ireland)
• 1995–97: Herwig Schopper (Germany){{Citation |last=Schopper |first=Herwig |title=From Science to Science Diplomacy |date=2024 |work=Herwig Schopper |pages=163–181 |url=https://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-031-51042-7_8 |access-date=2024-03-04 |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-031-51042-7_8 |isbn=978-3-031-51041-0 |last2=Gillies |first2=James|doi-access=free |url-access=subscription }}
• 1993–95: N. Kroo (Hungary)
• 1991–93: Maurice Jacob (Switzerland)
• 1988–91: R.A. Ricci (Italy)
• 1986–88: W. Buckel (Germany)
• 1984–86: G.H. Stafford (United Kingdom)
• 1982–84: Jacques Friedel (France)
• 1980–82: A.R. Mackintosh (Denmark)
• 1978–80: Antonino Zichichi (Italy)
• 1976–78: I. Ursu (Romania)
• 1972–76: H.B.G. Casimir (Netherlands)
• 1970–72: Erik Gustav Rydberg (Sweden)
• 1968–70: Gilberto Bernardini (Italy)

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{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|www.eps.org}}

{{European Physical Society}}

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Category:Physics societies

Category:International scientific organizations based in Europe

Category:Scientific organizations established in 1968

Category:1968 establishments in Europe