EDITORIAL
"Harmonization" and Analytical Chemistry Travel is one of the best forms of enlightenment, and my few months in Belgium have given me a new perspective on life and the status of analytical chemistry in Europe. Of course, the big topic of conversation in the media is the effect of the economic unification of the 12 countries in the European Economic Community (EEC) by 1992. Although this process of "harmonization" is primarily economic, it also will have an impact on many other aspects of life. What about analytical chemistry? Chemistry societies in Europe are presently organized nationally, and the three largest are the Royal Society of Chemistry (GB), the Deutsche Gellschaft (FRG), and the Société Chimique de France. The other countries have their corresponding national societies. The unification of the industrial partners is about total in the European Federation of Chemical Industries, but the Federation of European Chemical Societies has a long way to go. Many of the national chemical societies have subdivisions of analytical chemistry; however, they vary considerably in impact. An attempt at unification started in 1971 with the formation of the Working Party on Analytical Chemistry (WPAC) of the Federation of European Chemical Societies. This analytical group includes representatives of both the 12 EEC
countries and those of Eastern Europe, which makes it somewhat unwieldy. The highlight of the WPAC is a triennial conference on analytical chemistry and related sciences known as EURO ANALYSIS. Other specialty groups also exist in Europe. Recently I attended the annual conference of the European Microbeam Analysis Society that was held in Antwerp, and it compared very favorably with the Microbeam Analysis Society in the United States. Regarding the publication of analytical research in Europe, some of the larger chemical societies have their own journals as well as the usual overabundance of commercial journals. The French have Analusis, the British have the Analyst, and in West Germany there is Fresenius Zeitschrift Analytical Chemistry. Papers are published primarily in the native language of each country, although papers in English are accepted. It is interesting to note that many European analytical chemists recognize the high stature that ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY holds internationally. We encourage our colleagues abroad to contribute both research papers and feature articles for the "A" pages.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 61, NO. 11, JUNE 1, 1989 · 697 A
