It is today exactly six months since the 2009/2010 EDS Bureau was elected at the Annual Meeting in Limassol, Cyprus.  The bureau which ran for office as a team, consists of a group of very well experienced engaged European youth. Together they had a vision of taking EDS as an organisation to a higher level, in order to unleash the full potential of an organisation representing over 500 000 students across the continent.

Barely a month after being in elected into office the bureau met on the banks of the magnificent Lake Balaton in Hungary, for a two-day bureau meeting, where they laid the foundation for their common project; a stronger and more visible organisation. The individual bureau members were given specific areas of responsibility in order to maximize the utilization of our Vice Chairmen and Directors. A lot of focus was put on building up EDS as an effective organisation again, and objectives ranging from rebuilding the EDS website, gaining contact with our alumni, identifying and pursuing new sources of external financing were put on the agenda for the upcoming year.

Two months, and two skype-meetings later the scene was set for the 1^st Council Meeting (and 2^nd Bureau Meeting) of the working year, organised by FMSF Sweden in October in their capital Stockholm. The event was packed with speakers which left the attendees with a good impression of Swedish national politics, and its policies towards the European Union. At this meeting, for the first time the Council could be informed about the commencement of this bureau´s work.

November was also a busy month for the Bureau, commemorating the 20^th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, EDS for the first time presented its 20 Years after campaign focusing on students of 1989 and 2009’s views on both the past and future of Europe.  The Bureau also met in Paris (3^rd Bureau Meeting), kindly hosted by UNI France, and Chairman Bence Bauer, delivered a speech at the XXVI. Convergence of UNI. Furthermore the first BullsEye of the working year, under the lead of newly appointed editor-in-chief Sandra Falkowska entered production, with the prospect of being ready for distribution at the December council meeting in Jerusalem, Israel.

December started busily with the organisation being invited for the 2^nd Council Meeting to Jerusalem, Israel, kindly hosted by Young LIKUD Congress (4^th Bureau Meeting). It was the first official visit of EDS to Israel in more than 20 years, and it was also a unique opportunity for our members to learn more about a country most Europeans only know from news reports depicting war and conflict. In the evaluation of the event by the attending delegates, it showed that they had gained valuable knowledge about a country and a region, Europeans generally are not too familiar with. For EDS it is success having had after os many time again a Council Meeting in Israel.

Further the December, a large portion of the bureau attended the EPP Statutory Congress in Bonn, Germany. EDS supplied the meeting with tellers, had a stand promoting the organisation and the newly unraveled 20 years after campaign. In addition to this chairman Bence Bauer was given the opportunity to give a speech for the congress, in which he focused on the the ONE EUROPE policy EDS followed and always follows.

In December the new website of EDS was finally fully implemented, based on the initial face lift which was done almost immediately after the bureau assumed office. The website is made to ensure a simple and well structured presentation of EDS and its activities for the public. The graphic profile of the website is also reflected in the layout of the EDS monthly Newsletter which was sent out for the first time in years, in October.

After a short Christmas vacation, the bureau met in Vienna, Austria hosted by AktionsGemeinschaft Austria (5^th Bureau Meeting). During the bureau meeting the bureau focused primarily on planning the XX. EDS Winter University in Brussels, organised by the bureau in cooperation with our members edH and CSU, from Belgium. The bureau also took time to reflect on the first 5 months in office, and see where our weaknesses were, and find solutions to fixing them in order to become more efficient during our last 7 months in office. The Bureau Meeting in Vienna was finalized by a visit to a traditional Viennese ball at the imperial palace Hofburg.

The last six months have gone by fast, although the bureau feels they have accomplished a lot during these months, there is still room for more work, and more accomplishments. We are looking forward to seeing as many of our members and friends as possible during the Winter University in Brussels 23- 28 February, and we will take the time to hear from our members what improvements to our work they believe should be done. The bureau is here for our members, and in the end our efforts will be assessed by the sum of our members’ reflections upon our work.  The EDS bureau will also host a dinner in honour of our former activists during the Winter University, something which for unknown reasons has not been done since 2001!

Our mailbox is always open for ideas or criticism; active involvement makes EDS stronger!

The bureau wishes to thank our member organisations, and our friends around Europe for a great first half-tenure, and we are looking forward to working with you even more!