The history of the European Photochemistry Association

The aim of this review is to outline the history of the first four decades of the European Photochemistry Association (EPA) after its foundation in 1970. The review is divided into different sections. The first one covers the preparatory work done by leading photochemists to lay the bases for the creation of the new Association under the auspices of the Council of Europe. The second section describes the foundation of the new Association and its first three biennia of life (when the author was directly involved). The third and fourth sections summarize the progress made in the following decades and the main events that characterized the life of the Association. An Appendix illustrates in detail the history of the EPA Newsletter (with which the author collaborated until 2004). For the first period this review article is based on documentation found in the author's files and on his memory and the remaining parts are based on the reports published in the Newsletter. The pictures are taken from the EPA-Newsletter and the EPA archive with very few exceptions, as specified. It is difficult to survey the history of forty years of life of an Association without making mistakes or omissions. Many apologies to the readers for any inexactness.