1. The 38th Session of the Executive Committee of the International Poplar Commission (IPC) was held in Budapest, Hungary, on 1st October 1996 at the kind invitation of the Government of Hungary. Mr V. Steenackers, Chairman of the Executive Committee, chaired the meeting. It consisted of a closed session of 12 members, 7 heads or secretaries of Working Parties and the Secretary of the Commission assisted by a former Secretary of the IPC.
2. The Session was opened by the Chairman of the Committee. The provisional agenda was adopted.
3. The Chairmen of the Working Parties presented their reports. Informal meetings of some of the Working Parties had been held at the time of meetings of other bodies such as IUFRO, the EU Poplar project and the IEA. Contacts had been continued with the EUFORGEN group. The importance of these links and of the co-ordination of activities was stressed.
4. The Secretariat informed the Committee of the names of the candidates proposed by member countries from which its members would be elected for the period 1997-2000.
5. The Secretariat informed the Committee that offers to host the 39th Session of the Executive Committee had been received from India and from New Zealand.
6. The responsibilities of the Working Groups were discussed, with reference to subjects that were presently not clearly reflected in the titles of the Groups. This item was further discussed in subsequent Working Group meetings (see also para. 13 below)
7. The Secretariat informed the Committee that provision had been included in the programme of the XI World Forestry Congress (Antalya, Turkey, October 1997) for a satellite meeting to mark the 50th anniversary of the IPC.
8. Other matters that were discussed included future directions for the IPC and the subject matter and distribution of the proposed leaflets on the cultivation and utilisation of the Salicaceae. It was agreed that a small group should be set up to develop ideas for future directions of the IPC and that this matter should be drawn to the attention of the incoming Committee. The members of the Committee recorded their thanks to the Director of the Istituto de Sperimentazione per la Pioppicoltura (Casale Monferrato, Italy) for the support of his Institute towards the compilation of the Directory of Poplar and Willow Scientists, and reviewed the possibility of putting it on the Internet.
9. The newly elected members of the Executive Committee for 1997-2000 met on 4th October 1996 to elect the Chairman and Vice-chairman of the Committee and to discuss general business.
10. Mr V. Steenackers (Belgium) was elected Chairman and Mr A. Padro (Spain) Vice-chairman of the Executive Committee, both unanimously. It was agreed that Messrs. Scarascia-Mugnozza (Italy), K. Siddiqui (Pakistan) and P. Tabbush (UK) should be co-opted to the Executive Committee. Mr A. Wilkinson (New Zealand) was appointed Chairman of the Sub-committee on Nomenclature.
11. The Secretary was requested to circulate member countries to request suggestions for a theme for the satellite meeting to be held at the time of the XI World Forestry Congress and to request comments on the subject matter of the proposed leaflets (see paras 7 and 8 above). The Secretary was requested to look for the Rules of Procedure which were drafted some years ago for the conduct of the Sessions of the IPC.
12. It was agreed that a small organising committee, drawn from member, countries should be set up to help prepare for future Sessions and in particular to relate the papers of the Working Parties to the general theme of the Session
13. It was agreed that the title of the Working Group on Biomass Production Systems for the Salicaceae should be renamed Production Systems for Poplars and Willows.
