2008 FESAC AGM to be held in Malta

The Foundation for European Societies of Arms Collectors (www.fesac.eu) held its annual general meeting in the Netherlands earlier this month, where it was hosted by the representatives of the two main collector organisations.

The annual meeting was held at the De Berkenhorst range in Elspeet.

It the first annual meeting chaired by Stephen Petroni, who was elected to the chair last November. The board members were addressed by country delegates, who reported on the legal situation back home - Malta is now considered to have the most sensible arms law in the EU.

FESAC advisor Jan van Driel briefed the board on the latest news from Brussels and FESAC's direct involvement in the negotiation process.

Mr Petroni received a vote of confidence for the way in which he has transformed FESAC over the past months - the foundation is now regularly reported in the international media and its juridical sub-committee is constantly in touch with the EU institutions. He was unanimously re-elected chairman and all board members and delegates were reconfirmed in their posts.

At the end of the meeting the board members unanimously voted to organise the next FESAC AGM in Malta in June 2008. The Malta meeting will be hosted by the Association of Maltese Arms Collectors & Shooters (www.amacs-malta.org), which is the local FESAC affiliate and which would also be celebrating its 23rd anniversary at that time.

After the meeting the Dutch hosts treated delegates to a visit to two museums located nearby - the Artillery and Cavalry museums of the Netherlands' Army. The following morning delegates visited a joint exhibition/fair organised for the occasion by members of the two Dutch clubs which are represented in FESAC: NVBIW - 'Edouard de Beaumont' (modern firearms) and VNW - Vereniging van Nederlandse Wapenverzamelaars (antique firearms).