Foundation

Belgrad, 1971, October 17-21
On the initiative of Peter Biesalski (Mainz, Germany), Dusan Cvejic (Belgrade, Yugoslavia), Gerhard Kittel (Erlangen, Germany), Oscar Schindler (Torino, Italy).

Goals
According to first by-laws fixed in 1977

The purposes of the Union are:
The promotion of the specialty of phoniatrics and the professional conditions of the phoniatricians, the scientific relations between the members and putting them into practice for the benefit of the medical care by medical doctors working in public health service as well as in private practice.
The consolidation of solidarity among these medical doctors.
The study of professional, social and ethic problems to be considered by the Union and the search for their solutions, in the interest of the phoniatricians and their patients.
And, in general, the improvement of the conditions of living and work for its members by all legal means.

To achieve these goals, the Union may in particular:
Use all means of information and investigation, and publish all kinds of reports or periodicals and brochures.
Organize or participate in the organization of professional courses.
Use all means, which are not forbidden by the laws or ordinances of the various European countries, in order to develop the specialty and the profession and to defend the professional interest of its members, either on its own or by supporting or joining a professional organization having the same goals.

The goals covered both professional and scientific aspects of phoniatrics, the medical specialty of communication disorders, and one of the main aspects was, in addition, to cope with the political conditions of the cold war, when Europe was strictly separated in East and West by the iron curtain. This specific goal was realized in a unique way. Based on a mutually trustful cooperation, political and financial arrangements could be achieved that enabled European phoniatricians from both sides to stay in close contact all over these difficult years after the second world war. The Union had a strong impact on the development of the specialty as well as for the training in phoniatrics not only within Europe, but - due to a fruitful cooperation with the International Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (IFOS) - also in a worldwide scope.