The first professional body for Allergology in Europe was the UNION EUROPÉENNE DES ALLERGISTS (UEA), founded in the late sixties by a group of distinguished European allergists: DUCHAINE and JAMAR DE BEULE from Belgium, WOLFROMM, CHARPIN, and CANY from France, SANGIORGI and SERAFINI from Italy, SURINIYACH from Spain, QUARLES VAN UFFORD from the Netherlands, WILKENJENIEN from Denmark, and others.

In its early years, the UEA proposed some general rules for the practice of allergy and endeavoured to gain acceptance for the specialty in all European countries. Until 1983, the UEA executive committee only met every third year during the European Congress of EAACI.

In 1983, President Prof. SERAFINI retired, as did General Secretary Dr. CANY. Prof. DRY was elected President, and I was asked to take on the Secretariat, a position I maintained by election until 1992.

In 1985, the UEA requested to be integrated into UEMS as the Allergology Section, and this request was accepted.