1978
The first NA meetings in Europe were held before October 6, 1978, on U.S. Army bases in Germany, every Friday night at the 97th General Hospital, Courts&Boards Room. An American therapist of the US army, which is at this time a member of Alcoholics Anonymous and aware of the importance of identification among drug addicts, invited two AA members from Frankfurt, who have consumed illegal drugs, to an NA meeting of soldiers called the “Young Love Group”. 

More meetings started in Ireland and the UK shortly afterwards, and were swiftly followed by NA communities forming in other parts of Europe.

Treasurer Report of YOUNG LOVE GROUP.

Rolodex-Address-Register at World Service Office 1980.
A few NA meetings in Europe are registered. 

1983
In 1983 a small group of Irish members traveled to London to attend a service meeting …

1984
… and this contact led to the first European Service Conference, which was held in Trinity College, Dublin in 1984 and was attended by members from the UK, Germany and representatives from the World Service Office.

This event developed into the European Service Conference of NA (ESCNA), which has been hosted in turn by different European communities. It was a primarily a celebration of recovery, with some time set aside for informal reports to the floor from the attending communities. Some years later called the European Conference and Convention of NA (ECCNA).

1st 1984 (Dublin)
Flyer 2nd 1985 (London)
Flyer 3rd  1986 (Dublin)
Flyer 4th  1987 (Frankfurt)
Flyer 5th  1988 (Paris)

The almost complete list of past ECCNAs, posters and flyers? Go here.

1990
At the Convention in Lisbon in 1990, a small group was formed by members from Belgium, France, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the UK, in order to study the possible options for a European service structure. This was known as the European Study Group, which after the ECCNA 1991 in Rome became the European Resource Group and presented its findings to the Convention two years later in Brussels.

1993
At that meeting the Delegates recognized that in asking the question they had become one of the answers and were, in fact, the “Large Representative Body” option that had been described by the European Resource Group. At this conference in Brussels, this body has evolved into the EUROPEAN DELEGATES MEETING (EDM), which meets twice yearly and is a forum of multilingual and multi-cultural NA communities inside and outside Europe, whose mission is to further their common welfare and unity, support their growth and help them fulfill their primary purpose of carrying the NA message to the still suffering addict.

Communication by “snail” mail

2003
At the Winter EDM in Krakow the formation of an EDM Fellowship Development Committee was proposed, to replace the Hospital & Institutions and Public Information sub-committee.

2005
The European Delegates meeting made a decision in February 2005 to apply to become an International non-profit association. The association was set up to help the body function legally as Zonal Forum of Narcotics Anonymous within Europe.

2011
At the Winter EDM in Malta we embarked on a new way of doing FD, by creating 6 Tasks as an experiment. We choose delegates who are close to the requested FD and they form a team with a budget (Point Person / Budget Person). Delegates become a proactive part of EDM and FD.

2013
At the Summer EDM in Marbella and after EDM website renewal and further development we decided to extend the role of the webmaster to be responsible for the visible presentation of the EDM in general based on need (Website, Powerpoints, Workshop material, …). As we have grown as an unofficial service body and developed our services we have recognized the increasing need for public awareness in order to reach the goals and vision we have for the European Delegates Meeting in the future. The new term for this position changed from „EDM Webmaster“ to „EDM Media Coordinator“. 

2014
At the Winter EDM in Porto, a workgroup presented a bid for the first “European Service Learning Days” hosted by the EDM.

2015
First “European Service Learning Days” in Berlin. Members from 31 countries, and 28 regions/communities coming together for the first time in this way, to share experience, strength and hope with each other.
 

 

2015
In October, we published the first issue of the EDM NEWS. The newsletter includes information about EDM activities, events and personal experiences, and is aimed at those who want to be informed about the current affairs of the EDM.

2016
At the Summer EDM in Paris we created the EDM Human Ressource Pool (HRP), which includes current and former Regional Delegates and Trusted Servants (up to 2 years after they stepped down from EDM).  HRP members can be chosen for FD Task Teams, Learning Days and Workgroups if needed.

  

List of past EDM’s

2018 July Krakow (Poland)
2018 February Thessaloniki (Greece)
2017 September Portimᾶo (Portugal)
2017 February Kiev (Ukraine)
2016 July Paris (France)
2016 February Reykjavik (Island)
2015 August Birmingham (UK)
2015 February Warsaw (Poland)
2014 September Athens (Greece)
2014 February Porto (Portugal)
2013 September Marbella (Spain)
2013 February Zagreb (Croatia)
2012 August Moscow (Russia)
2012 February Istanbul (Turkey)
2011 August Malmö (Sweden)
2011 March Qawra (Malta)
2010 September Dead Sea (Israel)
2010 February Gizeh (Egypt)
2009 August Barcelona (Spain)
2009 March Aix-en-Provence (France)
2008 July Helsinki (Finland)
2008 February Budapest (Hungary)
2007 August Wales (UK)
2007 February Geneva (Switzerland)
2006 July Porto (Portugal)
2006 February Vilnius (Lithuania)
2005 July Dublin (Ireland)
2005 February Valencia (Spain)
2004 July Frankfurt (Germany)
2004 February St. Petersburg (Russia)
2003 October Halkidiki (Greece)
2003 February Krakow (Poland)
2002 September Bellaria (Italy)
2002 January Bellaria (Italy)
2001 July Montreal (Canada)
2001 February Athens (Greece)
2000 July Lausanne (Switzerland)
2000 February Lausanne (Switzerland)
1999 July Sitges (Spain)
1999 January Sitges (Spain)
1998 August Manchester (UK)
1998 February Manchester (UK)
1997 September Haifa (Israel)
1997 February London (UK)
1996 July Lisbon (Portugal)
1996 January Lisbon (Portugal)
1995 July Frankfurt (Germany)
1995 January Brussels (Belgium)
1994 July Amsterdam (Netherlands)
1994 January Amsterdam (Netherlands)
1993 January Brussels (Belgium)
1993 July Stockholm (Sweden)
1992 July Antwerp (Belgium)

List of previous ESCNAs (European Service Conference)

1987  4th European Service Conference, Kolping Haus, Frankfurt a.M.
1986  3rd European Service Conference, Te Parish Center, Dublin
1985  2nd European Service Conference, Imperial College, London
1984  1st European Service Conference, Trinity College, Dublin
1983  Irish members travelled to London to attend a service meeting